Wild Horse of Kai
by Montymouse
Summary: Naar has just gotten rid of Silent Wolf before he could fufil his destiny. The Goddess Ishir has found a suitable alternative replacement and, the Wild Child has a keen interest in Ishir's chosen one. COMPLETE subject to rework
1. WHoK

Ranma/Lone Wolf Crossover Fanfiction  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma 1/2 or the Lone Wolf Series or any other characters. The rights to Ranma 1/2 belong to Rumiko Takahashi and for the Lone Wolf Series Joe Dever. This story is created solely for entertainment purposes and no profit as gained from this.  
  
Main Characters:  
  
* Ranma (Saotome) Stormgard aka Wild Horse  
Fryearl of Sommerlund  
Kai Master   
  
* Braxus Stormgard aka Swift Blade  
Knight of the Royal Arms of Sommerlund   
Kai Master  
  
* Banedon   
Master of the Magicians Guild of Toran  
  
* Ranko (Alyss)  
Goddess of Magnamund/Mischief  
  
Special Appearances from:   
  
Tenchi Muyo - Tsunami (Goddess of Jurai & Life)  
  
Oh My Goddess - Skuld (Goddess of the Future)   
  
***  
  
"'A Lord of the Kai will come, but not one born of this world as he is the chosen one of the Gods. Possessing unrivalled skill in both magic and combat, he shall reach the next level of perfection; he is the betrothed one of the Goddess of mischief.'  
  
"''He shall be one of the three that will be the key to bringing everlasting peace to Magnamund.'  
  
"'With him will be a mighty wizard possessing magical powers unmatched in all of Magnamund.'  
  
"'A mighty warrior and brother will also aid this Lord of the Kai, and he shall possess a weapon equal unto the Sword of the Sun.'  
  
"'The trio shall drive back the Darkness and be protectors of all of Magnamund and other worlds.'"  
  
***  
  
Prologue - Divine Intervention  
  
Chapter One - A New World, A New Beginning, Same Problems  
  
Chapter Two - New Friends and Family  
  
Chapter Three - The Journey to Sommerlund Part 1  
  
Chapter Four - The Journey to Sommerlund Part 2  
  
Sidestory One - Winter Festival and Encounters  
  
Chapter Five - Training Day  
  
Chapter Six - Death and Betrayal  
  
Chapter Seven - The Prophecy of Sommerlund  
  
Chapter Eight - Journey to Hammerdal  
  
Chapter Nine - Final Liberation  
  
Chapter Ten - The Good, The Bad and the Downright Ugly  
  
Chapter Eleven - The Past, the Present and the future of the order of the Kai  
  
Chapter Twelve - A Diplomatic Situation  
  
Chapter Thirteen - Final Showdown  
  
***  
  
Ranma/Ranko Matchup Story  
Special Thanks to Arbe for pre reading the entire story 


	2. Prologue

Ranma/Lone Wolf Crossover Fanfiction  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma 1/2 or the Lone Wolf Series or any other characters. The rights to Ranma 1/2 belong to Rumiko Takahashi and for the Lone Wolf Series, Joe Dever. This story is created solely for entertainment purposes and no profits are gained from this.  
  
Timeline: This story takes place before Ranma meets the Tendo family and after Ranma learns the Nekoken. The Lone Wolf crossover takes place before book one of the Kai series.  
  
Wild Horse of Kai  
  
' ' - Thought  
" " - Speech  
  
By Montymouse  
  
Prologue - Divine Intervention  
  
***  
  
Somewhere in China in the middle of the night an eight-year old child was running through the dense, dark woods. There was barely enough moonlight to see the young child in detail. He was wearing what looked like the tattered remains of his martial arts Gi, and his black hair was tied up in a ponytail. The poor boy was close to near-total exhaustion, though he kept running as fast as his feet could carry him. He didn't really know where he was going, just as long as he was far enough away from those awful feline creatures and mainly his father, Genma. He estimated that he had probably covered at least a couple of miles, as he didn't recognise the landscape around him at all. Neither could he remember what had happened in the last few hours as the last thing he remembered was being pushed into the pit of cats. At last, exhaustion finally took its toll on his body and he knew that he was going to die unless he received medical attention soon.  
  
"Stupid Baka," muttered Ranma as he collapsed against a tree.  
  
On closer inspection, he had numerous bloody cuts and scratches all over his body, caused by those feline creatures in that pit. Initially Ranma thought that the training trip would be fun and would make him the best martial artist in his generation, so he was willing to do his best for that cause. It had turned out that his father was an idiot right from the word go as his supposed training techniques and methods that would make him the best were actually putting his life at risk for the sake of his father. He couldn't believe how cruel and stupid his father was, and he had soon realised how foolish he was for believing his father's words that it was for his own good when he was put through all those supposed martial arts training methods. Those previous training methods had been bad enough, but this final one - the Nekoken - took the cake in terms of stupidity. He recalled the beginning of the training trip few days ago.  
  
*Flashback*  
  
An eight-year old child was sitting happily in an old disused building somewhere in China listening to his father who was sitting opposite him. His father sported a pair of wire-framed glasses and was wearing martial arts Gi with some sort of bandanna on his head; it was of course Genma Saotome. Ranma was curious of what his father was planning for him and, after a brief moment of silence, Genma spoke out.  
  
"Ranma, I think it is time for you to learn the Nekoken."  
  
"What is the Nekoken?" asked Ranma  
  
"It's a technique that I have found that will make you the best martial artist in the world," Genma said in a superior tone.  
  
"Err... How is this technique taught?" Ranma said in a nervous voice. His experiences in new training methods taught by Genma usually involved a lot of hard work and pain.  
  
He would normally assume that it was for his own good to become the best martial artist in his generation. But as the training trip continued, his respect and his love for his father slowly ebbed away, and he didn't even know where his mother was, whom he greatly missed since leaving with Genma on this training trip.  
  
"You don't have to know that right now; or are you a weak little girl who's afraid of new challenges?"  
  
With that last statement, Ranma had accepted this supposed new martial arts technique due to his conditioning from Genma that the Art was everything and anything else was secondary. Genma knew that his son's pride and ego would override his previous doubts and hesitation. Genma smirked as he thought how easy it was to persuade his naïve son to do what he wanted him to do.  
  
"Right, all you have do, Ranma, is to..." Genma went on to explain to Ranma what he wanted him to do.  
  
Later that day...  
  
"What am I supposed to do with these?" Ranma asked. His curiosity about this Nekoken was growing, and he was wondering why Genma had ordered him to go and collect all the house cats in the immediate area.  
  
"Just put these fish cakes around you just as this ancient manual says," replied Genma, consulting the manual that he had found in an old, abandoned temple. Ranma did what he was told and started to wrap the fish cakes around him, still unaware of the danger.  
  
On the first page of the manual, it stated that the user of the technique would gain inhuman strength and power, which was enough for him to actually to carry out this technique. The problem was that it was a bit vague in stating how it was actually done, but Genma assumed he could work out how the technique was actually performed.  
  
In Genma's mind, if his son Ranma learned this technique then the Saotome School of Anything Goes' power would multiply tenfold and his arrangement with the Tendo clan would secure the legacy of Anything Goes. He could even imagine his early retirement, imagining his naïve son taking care of him in the future. Too bad for Ranma that Genma hadn't finished reading the rest of the manual, particularly the warning.  
  
"Now, Ranma, all you have to do is to go though this trapdoor that leads into the pit." Genma lifted the somewhat heavy trapdoor.  
  
Ranma peered through the trapdoor and saw all the cats he had collected earlier in the pit looking hungry and staved. Instantly Ranma's natural instincts and danger senses warned him that this was an extremely bad idea, but before he could say anything he was roughly pushed into the pit as the trapdoor slammed shut. Screams of pain could be heard coming from the pit, which Genma dismissed, waiting for it to stop. He hoped that his naive son would have learnt the Nekoken.  
  
Being subjected to the Nekoken training once was bad enough for Ranma, but would Genma stop? Nope. He actually thought that maybe it would take more than one attempt to actually get him to learn the Nekoken. So he decided to throw Ranma into the pit again and again with all sorts of food that the cats would like and each time Ranma was mentally scarred.  
  
By the end of the seventh attempt Genma was wondering how long it would take for his naïve son to actually master the technique. Genma then noticed that there was a loud growling coming from the pit. Suddenly the heavy trapdoor was blown apart as a black and white blur came out of the pit. Before Genma could prevent Ranma from escaping, he was knocked out cold by the sheer power and speed his son had gained as he rushed past Genma and through the wall.  
  
*End of Flashback*  
  
'So this is it, this is how I am going to die,' thought Ranma as he tried to make himself comfortable against a tree.  
  
Unless Ranma received immediate medical attention from somewhere he would bleed to death in the cold, dark forest. The problem was that no one knew where Ranma was as he was situated in a very remote area of China. His thoughts were about his mother and what it would be like if he had stayed with her instead of going with his father. Ranma tried to picture her in his mind, but he only had very vague memories of her. Ranma knew that he would die and waited for the cold hand of death to claim him.  
  
Normally in this universe/dimension, Ranma would have died at first light at the young age of eight due to his injuries, long before anyone would find him; but in this timeline, fate and destiny had other plans for him. It was the timely arrival of a passing Goddess that intervened in this universe that would lead Ranma to a new path.  
  
The Goddess was from another dimension, travelling between universes in order to get to her home universe of Aon. She possessed an almost unearthly beauty, long flowing white/blonde hair down to her waist, yellowish tinted skin and large, light blue eyes. She wore a white/silver kimono style dress with markings and symbols unknown upon this world. No one in this world would recognise her, but she would definitely be classed as a Goddess. In her home universe, upon the world of Magnamund, she was known as Ishir, Goddess of Good and High Priestess of the Moon.  
  
She was preparing for the final stage of her journey back to her home dimension when she sensed a strange chaotic aura nearby. She decided to delay her return home to investigate the weak signal that was being emitted from the forest, curious about the actual source of the signal. After spending a few minutes looking for the source of the chaotic aura, she was close to giving up when she spotted something out of the corner of her eye: the young boy resting against a tree. Using her supernatural senses, Ishir could tell that the young boy would die soon unless he received medical help. She wondered why this young human child was emitting such a strong chaotic aura, one that was not commonly found in a human unless they had some special purpose.  
  
She had to make a decision as to whether he was worthy of saving quickly because time for Ranma was fast running out. Normally a God or Goddess wouldn't intervene in mortal affairs, but something was telling her that this boy had great potential if he was bought up right in this world. Not wanting to scare the young boy, she decided to mentally probe his mind to find some answers to her unasked questions. She could see images of past friends, his mother, enemies made and the training techniques taught by Genma. She gasped in shock at the Nekoken and quickly made a mental note that if she saw him she would probably do something quite bad. It only took Ishir a couple of minutes to scan Ranma's memories, and by that time she had made a decision that would change Ranma's life forever.  
  
Her decision was that this young boy would probably be safe in her dimension, and he was more likely to reach his full potential if he was bought up in a better environment in Magnamund. She was sure that he wouldn't be missed except by a select few, and besides, he would have died anyway in this world, which would have been such a waste of potential. Also, her motherly instincts were kicking in and she felt sorry for this boy. His life had so far been awful, so she decided to approach him slowly without startling the poor boy.  
  
As she stepped out of the dense wood and into Ranma's field of vision, she could see Ranma's eyes widening in surprise and also in shock-- something she didn't want to happen at all. She approached him as gently and as calmly as possible, causing Ranma to relax a little rather than tense up. Ranma thought that he was becoming delusional through blood loss as he saw a glowing figure surrounded with bright light. That wasn't what was scaring him, it was her aura that was beginning to make him nervous. He had never met anyone with so much power radiating from him or her. In the condition that Ranma was in, he was too weak to put up a fight and waited for her to make her move first.  
  
"Who are you?" whispered Ranma as she stopped just in front of him.  
  
"Do not worry, little one. I am the Goddess Ishir," spoke Ishir gently, reaching out her hand to touch Ranma's forehead.  
  
Ranma was unable to pull his head back until Ishir spoke again.  
  
"Everything is going to be all right, no one is going to hurt you now," Ishir said quietly.  
  
Ranma nodded and allowed her to touch him. Her voice filled Ranma with warmth and kindness like that, which he had only experienced with his mother. Ranma also sensed from her aura that she meant him no harm and that she could be trusted. The moment she touched Ranma, he could feel his body starting to heal a little, and at the same time he could feel his eyelids starting to get heavy as he fell into unconscious.  
  
With a blinding light that lit up the forest, Ranma and Ishir disappeared into thin air.  
  
TBC...  
  
*** 


	3. Chapter 1

Ranma/Lone Wolf Crossover Fanfiction  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma 1/2 or the Lone Wolf Series or any other characters. The rights to Ranma 1/2 belong to Rumiko Takahashi and for the Lone Wolf Series Joe Dever. This story is created solely for entertainment purposes and no profits are gained from this.  
  
Wild Horse of Kai  
  
By Montymouse  
  
' ' - Thought  
" " - Speech  
  
Chapter One - A New World, A New Beginning, Same Problems  
  
***  
  
Somewhere in Northern Magnamund   
In a village near Durenor  
  
A certain pony-tailed boy slowly started to wake up and realised that he was in a nicely furnished bedroom. Ranma was wondering how the heck he had got here as the last time he was conscious he had been in a dark, scary forest in China. As he tried to prop himself up from the bed, flashbacks soon kicked in as Ranma started to piece together what had happened. All he could tell from his memories was that he had been almost dead when a glowing female figure approached him and started to whisper to him in a foreign language. He couldn't understand her, but he knew that she meant him no harm as her voice had warmth and kindness.  
  
'Where am I?' Ranma wondered as he yawned loudly, trying to shake off his sleepiness.  
  
Once he was fully awake from his long sleep, he noticed that he was in a warm and comfortable bed rather than the expected cold forest. Looking around the room, he could see that the bedroom was nicely furnished with a small, wooden dresser in one corner and a small chair opposite the dresser. Two candlelit lanterns hung on either side of the room, lighting it up. Judging by time of day outside the window, he assumed that he had probably slept through most of the day. He also noticed that he was in some sort of rural village like those in the countryside of China.   
  
Deciding that he had had enough sleep, Ranma got out of bed and started to do some light stretching exercises. Once he was out of bed, he noticed that he was wearing a loose, blue shirt and greenish-brown pants rather than his torn clothes. Surprisingly, Ranma found that most of his wounds and cuts that he had received from the Nekoken were almost completely healed, and had been treated with clean bandages.  
  
After a couple of minutes, Ranma sat down on the bed and started to think about what to do next. He was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he didn't notice a young boy roughly about his age, but with brown hair and blue eyes enter the room. He had much paler skin colour than Ranma and was dressed in a dark blue tunic and pants; he also carried a tray of food and medication. He smiled a little as he saw that his guest had finally awoken and quietly placed the tray on the dresser table.  
  
"Ah, you're awake now, that's good. I was wondering when you should be waking up. You've been asleep for quite sometime now," the boy greeted.  
  
Ranma turned around, surprised that he had managed to creep up behind him with making a noise.  
  
"Who are you?" asked Ranma.  
  
"Stormgard Braxus," he answered.  
  
Braxus then turned around and walked over to the dresser and picked up a plate of food.   
  
"You must be hungry by now?" Braxus suggested as he handed a plate to Ranma.  
  
"Well I am a little hungry," replied Ranma, his stomach starting to rumble in agreement.   
  
"I'll take that sound as a yes!" Braxus said as he collected his own plate. He then returned and pulled up a chair and sat opposite Ranma as they started to eat their meal.  
  
"I gave you my name, so what's yours?" asked Braxus curiously; he was currently thinking of where Ranma had come from.  
  
"Saotome Ranma," Ranma replied as he munched on a piece of bread. The plate consisted of oatmeal bread, cheese and dry ham.  
  
"Wild Horse, nice name," Braxus commented.   
  
"Err... Braxus, I don't suppose you know where am I? And how I got here?" enquired Ranma, wanting to know what had happened while he was asleep.  
  
"Well, I was on a village hunting trip and we were searching a forest just south of here. We were split up into groups and, as we were searching our patch of the woods, I noticed a couple of wolves circling around something. I thought that it was some dead animal they'd killed until I heard a slight noise," replied Braxus.  
  
"And then what happened?" asked Ranma, interested in his story.  
  
"I decided to investigate as I was curious about what was making that noise. This is where I found you; you were lying in a shallow ditch and there were some pretty hungry-looking wolves that were about to make a meal out of you. But some of my friends and myself managed to scare them away before they did anything. I noticed that you were quite beaten up and figured that you needed some local medical attention. So me and some of friends convinced the huntmaster to leave the hunting party and take you back to my mother, who is local healer in our village," explained Braxus as he recalled what had happened a few days ago.  
  
"Well... Thanks for saving me," Ranma gratefully said.  
  
"No need to thank me, thank my mother, she's the one who saved you, Ranma. She's currently out helping some children who fell ill and won't be back till noon," replied Braxus.  
  
Ranma nodded. "Well I would like to thank her, too, for her help, anyway."  
  
"Don't worry, you can thank her in the morning," Braxus replied.  
  
"Oh yes, to answer your other question, you're in our village near the town of Ryme in Durenor across to the west is barren wastelands known as the Wildlands, nothing much lives there and it the province is ruled by a Overlord. Beyond the Wildlands is the rich and neighboring country of Sommerlund."  
  
"Durenor? Sommerlund? Where's that in China?" replied a confused Ranma as he finished his meal. He noticed that Braxus was giving him an odd, confused look.  
  
"What is or where in Magnamund is China?" questioned Braxus as he collected Ranma's plate and returned them to the tray.   
  
It was Ranma's turn to give Braxus the odd, confused look.  
  
"All I know is that you are in the northern plains of Magnamund called the Lastlands. We are in a province called Durenor and to the west of here is Sommerlund. Maybe my father will know some of the answers to your questions, he practically knows all of Magnamund, but he won't be back for a few days as he's on duty as a Border Ranger," Braxus explained to Ranma.  
  
"Alright then," replied Ranma, knowing that he wouldn't get far asking more questions on where he was. The only thing he knew was that he definitely wasn't in China as his observation about the design of the furniture and the way Braxus was dressed suggested to him that maybe he was in another country. Maybe Braxus' father would know something.  
  
"So, Braxus, how long was I asleep?" questioned Ranma, interested in Braxus' answer.  
  
"About three days," replied Braxus.  
  
"THREE DAYS!" Ranma exclaimed out loud.   
  
'Boy... I must definitely be out of shape if I was out cold that long,' thought Ranma.  
  
"There is no need to shout, Ranma; mother told me that you were quite weak and exhausted and figured you would take awhile to recover. Quite frankly, she thought you'd be asleep for more than a week; you must be a fast healer to regain consciousness in three days," Braxus calmly replied.  
  
"Sorry about that," Ranma apologised in a quiet voice.  
  
"So tell me something about yourself, Ranma," questioned Braxus, wanting to know more about his guest and also trying to work out where he was from.  
  
Ranma looked at Braxus straight in the eye and saw that he could be trusted and was safe to talk to. He seemed friendly and was kind enough to allow him to stay at his house while he recovered. Besides, he wanted to make a friend in this strange place, rarely having had the opportunity to do so. Ranma started to talk to Braxus about his life so far while missing out some parts that he felt uncomfortable with.  
  
Braxus was listening with keen interest to Ranma's every word, and he was quite interested. One thing that Braxus knew was that Ranma was definitely not from this world; he mentioned some places and things that didn't exist in Magnamund, like horseless wagons and metal flying machines.  
  
"Hmm... Ranma, I highly recommend that you don't mention certain things about yourself, especially the part about where you are from - another world; otherwise people around here may get the wrong idea," Braxus suggested.  
  
Ranma nodded slowly.  
  
"Now that I've told you everything about me, how about you tell me about yourself and this place called Durenor?" asked Ranma.  
  
Braxus smiled and started to talk about his life in the village and some general information about Magnamund that Ranma should know, especially some customs and traditions that he should be aware of. Soon they talked about their hobbies and general stuff. Braxus was interested in a particular topic that Ranma mentioned.  
  
"So Ranma... what is this Martial Arts? Is it some sort of magic ability or sword skill that I could learn?" asked Braxus.  
  
Braxus was always eager to learn new skills and techniques just like Ranma, and was always on the lookout to find new techniques to incorporate into his swordplay and fighting prowess. He figured that martial arts could greatly improve his skills and hoped that maybe Ranma would teach him some of it.  
  
"Don't tell me that you don't know what Martial Arts is?" asked surprised Ranma.   
  
He really thought that Braxus was joking, but the expression on his face and the fact he was shaking his head meant that he wasn't. Ranma's jaw dropped as he realised that this boy has no clue what martial arts was.  
  
'I can't believe that these people don't even know what martial arts is!' thought Ranma.  
  
"Nope... All I know is how to use a bow and swordmanship just as my father taught me. I'm quite good with the sword due to my father's training," answered Braxus.  
  
"Well Martial Arts is..." Ranma started to explain what Martial Arts was as best as he could, drawing on his knowledge and what his father Genma had said. He might be an idiot sometimes, but there were times when some of his words of wisdom would prove to be useful.   
  
'Maybe Braxus would like to spar with me if I taught him some martial arts? He says he's good with a sword and maybe it'd do me good to fight against armed opponents,' thought Ranma. He was constantly trying to improve his adaptability against a wide range of opponents.  
  
"So you want to become the best Martial Artist in your generation? It sounds difficult, but I'm sure that you'll achieve that goal," Braxus said.  
  
"Thanks. How about you; what do you want to become when you grow up?" asked Ranma.  
  
"I really want to become a member of the Elite order of Kai Lords. They are based in the province of Sommerlund. In a couple of years my father is enrolling me at the Kai Monastery," Braxus said.  
  
Braxus then had an idea of what Ranma could do while he was here.  
  
"Hey, Ranma, maybe you should join as well? I heard that they do something quite similar to your martial arts, and you did say that you were always on the look out for new combat techniques to learn," Braxus said, trying to persuade Ranma to join him.  
  
"Hmm... maybe; I'll have to think about it," Ranma replied. Braxus accepted Ranma's reply. He didn't really want to force him to do anything that he didn't want. Anyway, at least he hadn't refused the offer, which meant that he could persuade Ranma to go with him.   
  
Ranma was slowly considering Braxus' offer. It would mean that he could do something while he was here in this strange place. If what Braxus had said were true, he could be tempted to join as he was always on the lookout for new martial arts techniques, and he might pick some up at this Kai Monastery. Ranma and Braxus talked for a few more hours, exchanging experiences and stories. Soon they had become good friends, something Ranma had wanted the most when he was on his training trip with his father. He didn't have many due to his father moving him about a lot of time. He did miss a few of his friends back home, especially his best friend Ukyou.  
  
Their discussion was interrupted by the call of the village night watchman as he called out the time, which was midnight, indicating to Braxus that it was time to get some rest and go to sleep.  
  
"Well, Ranma, it's getting late now, so maybe it's time for you to get some rest," Braxus suggested.  
  
Ranma nodded and started get ready for bed.  
  
"Goodnight Ranma," replied Braxus as he got up from where he was sitting. He picked up the empty tray of plates and walked towards the bedroom door.  
  
"Yeah, see ya in the morning," Ranma responded.  
  
As his new friend left the room and closed the door behind him, Ranma crawled back into his bed feeling a bit weak and tired; maybe some rest would do him good.  
  
As he started to fall asleep, Ranma last thoughts were, 'Maybe this might be a new start for me; at least it's better than my other life."  
  
After that Ranma dozed off to slumberland and started to dream some good dreams for once in his life rather than the nightmares he had of the Nekoken.  
  
***  
  
Somewhere in the Universe 'Aon'  
  
The world of Magnamund is part of the Universe called Aon where good and evil balanced each other out, where there was a constant struggle for dominance and power. Almost all of the worlds in Aon were claimed by either party. Only one world was still left unclaimed as the Gods or Goddess fought over it. Magnamund was the only one left, and on that world would be the final confrontation between the forces of Good and Evil.  
  
On a higher plane of existence two individuals were currently having a serious discussion about one of the individual's actions. The person on the left was the Goddess Ishir, Goddess of Good and High Priestess of the Moon. The heated debate concerned the actions of Ishir and the arrival of Ranma Saotome to the world of Magnamund.  
  
The person opposite her was a tall male dressed a bit similarly to Ishir, but he wore a regal robe with a more masculine feel to it. He had blond hair, the same skin colour as Ishir, but he also had a long beard, making him look like a Norse warrior. He was the God Kai, God of Good and Lord of the Sun. He was allied to Ishir in order to repel the forces of Naar and evil from against Magnamund.  
  
Kai was quite annoyed that Ishir had bought in a mortal child from a different dimension to their universe, but that wasn't the only thing that annoyed him; there was also the strong chaotic aura that this child possessed around him.  
  
"What is this I heard, that you bought a mortal child from a another universe to our universe? Don't you know the rules that we must follow, even you? We cannot intervene in mortal lives, it is they that will shape their own destiny," Kai said.  
  
"If I didn't bring him into our world, his potential would have been wasted; also he would have died a cruel death by the actions of his father," replied Ishir, trying to persuade Kai to let him stay.  
  
"Also I think that this mortal, Ranma, has the potential to become one of the Great Kai Grand Masters, just like Sun Eagle, your first Kai Lord. If you would allow Ranma to join your Elite Kai Order next year at the Kai Monastery," added Ishir  
  
"What! But this mortal, Ranma, possesses a strong chaotic aura that rivals any of the lesser demons or Gods I have encountered; it surrounds him. He's not even a Sommlending!" replied Kai.  
  
"Now, now, there is no need to discriminate against him just because he is not a Sommlending. Your order is meant to represent Good, and we cannot control the destiny of mortals, but we can point them in the right direction," Ishir said.   
  
"He could become a threat to us against our struggle over this world against Naar if he became corrupted with knowledge of Kai and join Naar against us," answered Kai quickly.  
  
"That's why I am suggesting that we should allow Ranma to join the order! Besides, the chaotic aura that surrounds him doesn't mean he is evil. He is neither evil nor good, which could mean that he has a special destiny or reason for his strong chaotic aura. He does have the potential and if he was taught in the way of Kai, and with your light and wisdom, he could become one of the greatest, then become a powerful force in our war against evil," countered Ishir.  
  
"But... still," answered Kai, unsure but half-convinced about this.  
  
"Remember your Avatar, Sun Eagle, he was neither too rich or powerful, but a simple Sommlending Baron. He sought out the Lorestones and in successfully doing so unlocked the wisdom and strength that had been lying dormant with him. With this your first Kai Lord was born," Ishir said, still persuading Kai to let Ranma stay and become a Kai Lord.  
  
"Alright, alright, you win, Ishir; but Ranma Saotome is under your responsibility and your protection as with your other potential Kai Lord, Braxus Stormgard. I know that he may become as great as Sun Eagle was, and maybe Ranma could become the same," stated Kai as he gave in to Ishir's persuasion.   
  
Kai made a mental note to have a bit more backbone toward Ishir, but every time she did this, he couldn't seem to get an advantage over her; it was as if she rehearsed it or something. Just like mortal women: men can't win an augment against them when they are determined to get what they want.   
  
"So you'll let Ranma join your order along with Braxus and let him stay in our world?" asked Ishir. Inside she smiled evilly, knowing that she'd already won the augment from the beginning.  
  
"I did say yes, didn't I?" Kai was getting annoyed with Ishir; she could be so persuasive when she wanted something.  
  
As Kai and Ishir talked about their plans, they didn't notice another being with them, hiding in the shadows just out of Kai and Ishir's supernatural senses. The shadow being was listening to their conversation. Once they had finished he disappeared to the dark realm of Naar.  
  
The being was an agent of Naar and as soon as he had returned to the dark realm he started explaining what he had heard to his master, Naar: the King of Darkness. Naar was taking a minor interest in what his minion was telling him.  
  
'This could prove to be quite interesting. Ishir has brought in this mortal whom she believes could become as very powerful and as wise a Kai Lord as Sun Eagle was.  
  
"Heh... Never mind, they will never even have the chance to reach their potential,' thought Naar as he dismissed his spy.  
  
He started to consider his next course of action to take over Magnamund. He was still angry, as the Kai Masters had foiled another attempt to destroy Sommerlund. This was the last straw! Naar decided to implement a plan so grand in scale that it would rid him of these Kai warriors once and for all. It would take a few more years for Naar to scheme and execute his plan to conquer all of Magnamund and bring about the downfall of the Sommlending people. He then sent all the plans to all of his Darklords in preparation, especially to Lord Zagarna, leader of the Darklords, and Vonotar, the Traitor.  
  
TBC...  
  
*** 


	4. Chapter 2

Ranma/Lone Wolf Crossover Fanfiction  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma 1/2 or the Lone Wolf Series or any other characters. The rights to Ranma 1/2 belong to Rumiko Takahashi and for the Lone Wolf Series Joe Dever. This story is created solely for entertainment purposes and no profits are gained from this.  
  
Wild Horse of Kai  
  
By Montymouse  
  
' ' - Thought  
" " - Speech  
  
Chapter Two - New Friends and Family  
  
***  
  
Early Morning in the Village near Durenor  
  
As soon as the sunlight reached the room where Ranma was sleeping, he instantly awoke from his slumber; he was used to natural sunlight waking him up rather than relying on alarm cloaks.  
  
'What? Where am I?' Ranma instantly thought as he yawned loudly to shake off his sleepiness.  
  
'Oh yeah... now I remember. Braxus and his family took care of me when I was injured,' Ranma thought, recalling last night and his talk with Braxus.  
  
Feeling a little better, Ranma got up from his bed and noticed that by the dresser there was large washbowl and a jug of water with a few clean towels folded neatly beside it. There was also a set of clean clothes draped over the wooden chair: a greenish tunic and some black, baggy pants. Ranma guessed that they were probably borrowed from Braxus, who was roughly the same size as him. Normally Ranma wouldn't wear this, preferring to wear either a Gi or a black shirt/pants combination.  
  
'I don't really want to wear this, but what the heck? I got nothing else to wear,' Ranma thought. As he slipped on the green tunic he noticed embroidered on the shirt was some sort of pattern or design. After dressing, Ranma cleaned himself up with the washbowl.  
  
"Hmm... I'd better go and check out the place where I am staying?" Ranma opened the door and stepped out of the room into the hallway. He was about to shout out if anyone was home but was beaten to it by someone calling out his name.   
  
"Hey, Ranma, over here!"   
  
Ranma looked to his left and saw Braxus trying to get his attention and gesturing for him to go over. Ranma could smell the aromatic scent of breakfast that wafted down the corridor, making his stomach rumble in agreement with Braxus' offer. Upon entering the corridor, Ranma could see his friend Braxus sitting around a large table laden with food. Sitting opposite him was an older woman in a white dress who was holding a cup of herbal tea. Ranma could see that she resembled Braxus and had the same colour hair, but with grayish-blue eyes. Her eyes followed Ranma's movements from the instant he entered the kitchen area of the house.  
  
Ranma assumed that this woman was Braxus' mother and decided to make a good impression with her as she had helped him recover and had also looked after him while he was unconscious. As soon as Ranma had walked over to the table, Braxus got up from his seat and invited Ranma to join them for breakfast.  
  
"Hi Braxus," Ranma said to Braxus.  
  
"Ranma, why don't you sit down and join us for breakfast; we've got plenty of food here," Braxus offered.  
  
At that moment Ranma was feeling very hungry just from looking at what was laid out on the breakfast table.  
  
"Sure... why not," replied Ranma as he pulled up a chair and sat next to Braxus.  
  
"Ranma, I want you to meet my mother Oriah Stormgard." Braxus introduced Ranma to his mother, who so far hadn't said anything.   
  
"Hello Mrs Stormgard," replied Ranma as politely as possible.  
  
Due to his training trip with his father Genma, manners and elegance had been thrown out of the window for the sake of the art, and this meant that Ranma was lacking in proper social skills. When Ranma looked into her eyes, he could see that she held great wisdom and intelligence behind her looks, which reminded him of his mother.  
  
"Hello Ranma. There is really no need to be so formal, just call me Oriah like everyone else. I see that you've made a full recovery," Oriah said in low, soft and gentle voice.  
  
"Oh yeah, well I do heal fast due to my conditioning. I would like to thank you for helping heal my wounds," Ranma said.  
  
"It was nothing really. It's a healer duty to help the sick and poor people in the village; but I was surprised at how fast you have recovered," replied Oriah as Ranma grabbed a plate.  
  
"Now then, Ranma, I would like you to answer some questions," questioned Oriah.  
  
"Sure, go ahead, I will try to answer them as best as I can," replied Ranma as he started to help himself to the eggs, bacon and bread that was laid out on the table, piling the food on his plate.  
  
"I've noticed that you speak well in our own language Ranma," Oriah observed as she took a slip of her herbal tea.  
  
"What, but I thought you were speaking in my language?" Ranma said in surprise.  
  
"No, Ranma, you are definitely speaking our tongue, and may I say quite well. Maybe you picked it up on your travels, perhaps?" replied Oriah.  
  
'How can I speak their language if I don't know anything of their culture or tradition,' thought Ranma, but he soon dismissed it as he had other things to think about.  
  
***  
  
Somewhere in the universe of Aon  
  
Ishir smirked as she watched through a viewing crystal Ranma in the company of Braxus and Oriah. She decided to watch to see how Ranma was coping with this family whom she had entrusted to look after him; and besides, it made her job easier as she had a keep an eye on another mortal who also had a special destiny.  
  
'It's a good thing that I incorporated a language spell; now Ranma understands and speak all the common languages of Magnamund. Otherwise it would have been difficult for him to blend into the local population,' thought Ishir.  
  
Although she couldn't really intervene in mortal lives (she believed that it was up to each mortal to carve out their own future and destiny, becoming independent and strong), she knew that sometimes a little divine help from them would go a long way.  
  
The real reason why she had allowed Ranma to enter into this universe was that she had to find someone really special as she had failed to protect a young Sommlending named Landar from the agents of Naar. She swore that she wouldn't make the same mistake again, and would do in all in her power to make sure that Naar did not control this final world, which still had not been dominated by any of the Gods or Goddess.  
  
***  
  
Back at the Stormgard Home  
  
Ranma was about to tuck into his breakfast when he noticed the odd looks he was getting from Braxus and Oriah.  
  
"Err... Ranma, why do you eat like that?" questioned Braxus. He had noticed Ranma's awful table manners and was very surprised to see an entire plate of food eaten up in a matter of seconds; he thought that it should have been impossible by human standards.  
  
Ranma paused for a moment as he digested the rest of the food that he had eaten in those few seconds. "What do you mean?"  
  
"I mean that I've seen Giaks who have better table manners than you."   
  
"Well, it's probably due to my training trip with my father where I kinda picked up his eating habits. Basically, if you didn't eat fast, you didn't eat at all," Ranma answered as he continued to eat his breakfast.  
  
"That's awful! No father should leave a child to starve!" Oriah said in shock and disapproval. She made a mental note that if she ever saw Ranma's father she would have some serious, stern words with him, and after that, probably give him a curse.  
  
"Ranma, according to what my son has told me, you lack some social skills and that needs to be addressed. So the first thing we shall do is start giving you some basic table manners; and besides, there's plenty of food to go around as you can see, so what is the rush?"  
  
Ranma nodded and allowed Oriah to teach him some basic skills. It actually took him a couple of minutes to digest what Oriah was teaching him, which was to actually chew the food first rather than swallow the food entirely, and few other important table manners.  
  
"Ranma, I think you should tell my mother everything about yourself," Braxus said, as he knew that Oriah was more open minded than the villagers around here.  
  
It took Ranma a couple of moments to decide if it was possible to trust her with his life-story, but decided that it was okay to tell her about his past life with Genma as he had done with Braxus the previous night. Also, he didn't want to lie to people who had helped and taken care of him.  
  
"I agree with my son, I think that you shouldn't mention this to anyone concerning where you're from," replied Oriah, who surprised Ranma by being so understanding and concerned.  
  
"You believe me then?" Ranma asked  
  
"Of course I do, although it sounds unbelievable, I believe you, and nothing bad will ever happen." Oriah gave Ranma a hug to show that he didn't have anything to fear anymore. "I have experienced and seen many things in my life that most people around here wouldn't believe when I was a young healer-apprentice. Your explanation that you are from another world doesn't surprise me that much, but I think that certain other individuals may take it the wrong way," explained Oriah.  
  
Ranma was listening carefully her advice. He felt that he could trust her more than he did his father. Braxus was also listening with interest, although he had heard it before the previous night.   
  
"So, Ranma... How did you get those cuts and scratches all over your body? My son wouldn't tell, he just told me that I should ask you about it first," questioned Oriah. She wanted to know what had happened to this young boy, suspecting child abuse by Ranma's father.  
  
It then took a couple of hours for Ranma to explain what had happened on the training trip with his father and the martial arts training techniques he had been put through including the Nekoken. He then started to vaguely explain how he had escaped from his father and how he had arrived here. When he had finished explaining his life story, the reactions he received from Oriah and Braxus varied between shock, sadness and finally anger. Braxus silently swore that if he met this Genma, he was a good as dead, while his mother had other plans on how to deal with him involving painful methods and curses.  
  
***  
  
Somewhere in China - Ranma Home Dimension  
  
A bald, fat martial artist was being chased across China by a bunch of Amazon and Musk warriors having somehow managed to upset or anger them.   
  
He felt his danger senses going into overdrive for no apparent reason.  
  
***  
  
Back at the Stormgard Home  
  
"Well Ranma, I'm glad that you escaped from your dreadful father with your sanity intact. Ranma, I would like you to stay here at our home for as long as you like while you remain in our world. I'm sure we can find you something to do around here," offered Oriah.  
  
Before Ranma could respond to her offer, someone interrupted him.  
  
"Hello, is anyone home?" called out someone standing at the back entrance to the Stormgard home.  
  
This stranger was wearing a light blue robe embroidered with stars and symbols. He had some sort of star-shaped amulet around his neck. He was roughly about the same age as Ranma and Braxus, but had blond hair with silver highlights. He also had deep, brooding eyes and a sense of something magical around him.  
  
"Banedon! What are you doing here?" called out Braxus from the table. He rose up from where he was sitting and greeted his friend.  
  
"What? Can't a friend just come by and say hi? Anyway, how are things going?" Banedon asked.  
  
"Just fine, and of course you are always welcome here in our home," Braxus replied.  
  
"Hello Oriah," Banedon said as soon as he reached the breakfast table.  
  
"Hello Banedon, I see you are well," Oriah commented.  
  
"Perfectly fine thanks, Oriah," replied Banedon as he turned to his best friend.  
  
"Hey, Banedon, we're just in the middle of breakfast so why don't you join us?" Banedon nodded. "Come, meet our new guest," replied Braxus as he led Banedon to the breakfast table where Ranma and Oriah were sitting.  
  
"Hello there, my name is Banedon," Banedon politely said as he bowed at Ranma.  
  
Banedon noticed the unusual aura surrounding this new guest. He decided to make a mental note about this rather that say anything about it, as long he wasn't a danger to anyone.  
  
"Saotome Ranma," replied Ranma as he waved to him.  
  
Banedon nodded and sat down next to Ranma.  
  
"So, Banedon, where have you been for the past couple of weeks?" Braxus asked. The last time he had seen his friend was two months ago.  
  
"Well, I was just visiting the city of Toran in Sommerlund... and guess what, I've been accepted to become an apprentice of the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star," Banedon proudly stated.  
  
"That's great news, you always wanted to become a Guildmaster," replied Braxus and he gave a great slap on the back to Banedon.  
  
"Ouch, thank Braxus."  
  
"Just like your father, following in his footsteps," said Oriah as she got up and started to wash the dishes and prepare for her routine duties as the village healer.  
  
"Thanks," replied Banedon as he joined them for the remainder of the breakfast.  
  
"What is this Brotherhood of the Crystal Star?" inquired Ranma. He noticed the confused look on Banedon's face.  
  
"Banedon... err... Ranma's not from around here and he's quite new to the Lastlands," interrupted Braxus to avoid the subject of Ranma not being of this world. 'Maybe I could explain to Banedon about Ranma later on,' thought Braxus.  
  
"Oh... Well then, the Brotherhood of the Crystal is a group of Guildmasters and wizards that are based in the city of Toran in Sommerlund. They are masters of elementary spells of Left Handed Magic... it's pretty hard to get in, but this is what I want to become," answered Banedon.  
  
"I have to go now. Make sure you clean up after you've finished breakfast, okay?" Oriah said as she left the house.  
  
"Okay mother," Braxus replied.  
  
"Hey, Braxus, are you still going to join that Order of the Kai near Holmgard in the next couple of years?" questioned Banedon.  
  
"You bet I am," proudly replied Braxus.  
  
"How about him?" Banedon pointed out to Ranma.  
  
"Well... I still haven't made up my mind on what I am going to do," replied Ranma.  
  
'Maybe I will join the Order. According to what Braxus has said, it sounds quite interesting,' thought Ranma.  
  
As the trio ate breakfast, Banedon soon became friends with Ranma. Braxus noticed that outside it was a perfect day to practice their skills and abilities.  
  
"Hey, Ranma, Banedon; why don't we go outside and start practicing our skills? It's starting to become a bit boring stuck in the house while the weather is so beautiful," Braxus suggested.  
  
"Sure why not," replied Banedon as he got up from where he was sitting.  
  
"Okay," replied Ranma. He wanted to explore the area and the village he was currently staying at, anyway.  
  
***  
  
Village Market Place  
  
Ranma followed closely behind Braxus and Banedon as he was led through the village. He noticed that Braxus was carrying some sort of bag slung over his shoulder. As they passed by the various houses Ranma noticed that the village didn't really have much modern technology compared to the cities and towns that he had visited; it was more like one of the rural villages in China. He could see the villagers mainly relying on old-fashioned methods such as horse-drawn carts and candle-lit lanterns to light up the village at night. It seemed that the village had some sort of stockade surrounding it, probably to keep the people in the village safe and keep out any potential threats. He saw a few guards on duty along the stockade wall to back this up.  
  
"Hey, Braxus, where are we actually going?" Ranma asked, wondering where he was being led.  
  
"We are leading you to our local training ground where most of us practice; it's also a good place to meet new people," replied Braxus; he wanted Ranma to meet more people and to feel welcome in his world. From what Ranma had told him it seemed that he hadn't really had the opportunity to make new friends in his own world.  
  
"Yeah... But first we have to go through the village town square and market place, as the training ground is on the other side of the village," replied Banedon.  
  
"Oh... Alright then, lead the way." Ranma continued to follow them.   
  
'I'd better follow them, I'd probably get lost in this village. Anyway, I need to know the area first,' thought Ranma.  
  
They were currently in the village market place passing through the various market stalls and sales pitches. The market place was quite crowded today, as it was a Sunday; the place was filled with many buyers and sellers from Durenor, which meant that the trio took awhile to navigate through. The first few bazaars consisted of sellers selling of their goods of food, jewelry, and antique and domestic goods.  
  
Further down the market place were the blacksmiths and weapon masters who were offering various armor and weapons. Braxus was looking quite interested at a particular sword until he found out the price. Opposite the blacksmith stalls was the mage stall that had attracted Banedon to look at the various scrolls and magical items offered. Ranma, on the other hand, was just looking around the place. He noticed a few stares and glances from the various people that were aimed at him, especially the girls. They thought that Ranma looked kind of attractive and cute: his looks and dress made him stand out a bit among the local population. After they spent a bit of time browsing through the stalls, they realised that they should start moving; otherwise by the time they got to the training grounds it would be too dark. Grabbing Banedon and Ranma, Braxus started to drag them from the market stalls towards their intended destination.  
  
Ranma was starting to feel a little welcome and was just looking around when Braxus spoke.  
  
"We're here, Ranma," Braxus said, interrupting Ranma's sightseeing trip. This caused Ranma to stop and look at the place to which Braxus and Banedon had led him. What he saw was an open field containing various people who were either chatting away, or playing some sort of game, or just training.  
  
"So what are supposed to do here?" Ranma asked, wondering why it was he had led him here. His question was soon answered as he caught a wooden sword thrown to him by Braxus.  
  
"Easy... I just want to know how good you are at fighting; and besides, I need the practice. Anyway, this is a good place to meet people your own age and to blend in." Braxus got into a ready stance with his wooden sword while Banedon just sat down on the sidelines watching them and basically playing ref.  
  
"I don't really need this." Ranma threw the weapon back to Braxus.  
  
'Now is the chance to see how good he is,' thought Ranma as he got into a stance.  
  
"Why not?" replied a confused Braxus as he caught the sword that was thrown to him and put it away.  
  
"As I said, I don't really need this; and besides, I was told that a weapon could hinder your overall combat potential," explained Ranma of what his father had told him.  
  
"Really then... you're going to face me unarmed? So are you going to show me what martial arts is all about then?" asked a surprised looking Braxus.  
  
"Yeah, I'm going to show you what the Saotome School of Anything Goes is about," replied Ranma.  
  
'This is going to be fun! Besides, I haven't sparred with anyone for ages apart from my father,' thought Ranma.   
  
He always sought the opportunity to practice his martial arts ever since he had left his last school back on his home world where he always sparred with his friend Ryoga. Ranma wondered whatever had happened to Ryoga when he hadn't shown up for the duel to which he had challenged him.  
  
As Ranma and Braxus got ready, Banedon got up from where he was sitting, preparing to signal the start of the fight.  
  
Making sure that both Ranma and Braxus were ready, Banedon explained the rules: "All right then... the rules are simple: first one to submit loses; first one to be in a position where the opponent has no choice but to submit wins, okay?" He received a nod in reply from both of them.  
  
"Begin!" called out Banedon as he signal the start of their sparring match.  
  
It was Braxus who made the first move, charging in with his wooden sword, hoping that his charge would catch Ranma off guard; but Ranma saw this and swiftly acted by sidestepping to his left, narrowly avoiding the potential hit he would have received. Ranma then got into a defensive stance and waiting for Braxus to attack again then counterattack. At that moment, Braxus was wondering where Ranma had gone when he realised that he was behind him. He then quickly turned around realizing that his back was unguarded and open to attack. He then saw Ranma standing a couple of yards in front of him in some sort of defensive stance that he didn't recognise. Braxus decided that the best option in this situation was to take the offensive and he started to run up to Ranma and delivered another slash across Ranma's chest.   
  
Of course Ranma was ready for the swing of Braxus' weapon and quickly ducked underneath it, narrowly missing his wooden blade, and delivered a punch toward Braxus' stomach. This blew all the air out of Braxus' lungs and made him pause to regain his breath. Now was the time for Ranma to take the offensive and attack. Ranma launched a quick combination of punches to the head and chest areas of his opponent, little knowing that Braxus had anticipated this and was waiting for Ranma's attack. Braxus had faked being in a vulnerable position; he was much tougher than Ranma had at first thought. This of course surprised Ranma as he saw most of his blows blocked by Braxus' weapon while receiving some hits in return and he cursed himself for underestimating his opponent. He back flipped away from Braxus to give himself some time to consider his next course of action.   
  
As the sparring match continued for a few more minutes, neither Ranma nor Braxus gained dominance. Of course, as the fight carried on it drew in quite a crowd from the village and the ones who were already on the training field. They really wanted to see how this foreign newcomer was doing against Braxus, who was the best fighter for his age and few opponents that he had faced could last very long against him, let alone win. The crowd was cheering on and giving encouragement as they watched Ranma dodge Braxus' sword attacks while at the same time trying to sneak in a few hits.  
  
Meanwhile, Braxus had taken a cautious approach with his swordplay rather than swinging wildly, as he knew that Ranma was good at avoiding being hit. Both were trying to find weaknesses or cracks in their opponent's defenses. It was really hard to tell as Ranma had the speed and agility to avoid most of Braxus' attacks, while Braxus had the strength and skill with the sword to parry some of Ranma's attacks and return them back at him.  
  
During the fight, Banedon was acting as referee and was currently reading a book as he watched them. He noticed that both Ranma and Braxus were equal and tough combatants. Judging by the outlook, it looked as though no one would be winning any time soon. As the minutes went by, both combatants were feeling tired from their constant sparring and they both knew the consequences if one of them decided let their guard down for a moment. Banedon decided to let them fight on.  
  
'Ranma is quite good and if Braxus didn't have his sword then I think that Ranma would have won by now. They're both evenly matched right now, and it will probably take ages,' thought Banedon.   
  
Banedon saw that no one would win this match; and besides, it was a simple sparring match not an official match.  
  
"Both of you, stop what you are doing!" called Banedon. He saw the confused looks both of his friends gave him as they paused in their sparring match.  
  
"What!" they replied as they looked towards Banedon.  
  
"I have decided to call this match a draw because neither one of you had the advantage over the other for quite a while, and if this carries on we'll be here all night. Besides, this isn't an official fight, just a sparring match," stated Banedon. He could see the disappointment in the crowd, as they had wanted someone to win.  
  
"Okay, Banedon, I trust your judgment, but I still would have won that match in the end," replied Braxus. Ranma reacted to this angrily.  
  
"Would not! I would have won!" Ranma said, and they started to argue over who could have won this match.  
  
Banedon just stood there and watched them acting like children, and the rest of the crowd soon departed to carry on with their own business.  
  
***  
  
Afternoon, at the village training field  
  
Banedon's verdict on the sparring match was that it was a draw. Both Ranma and Braxus were annoyed that no one had won outright, but agreed that it was official and thought that maybe the next time they could see who was better for real. During their time at the training field Braxus introduced a couple of his friends to Ranma. They were a bit curious and cautious about the way Ranma looked as he different from them and wondered where he was from. Eventually they accepted him for who he was and assumed that he was from somewhere down south. They realised that Ranma was friendly enough to befriend and invited him and Braxus to join them in their game while Banedon start to chat to some young apprentice healers.  
  
After a few hours Banedon noticed that it was getting a bit dark and suggested that they should retire for the night. Both Ranma and Braxus agreed to it and started to say their goodbyes to their friends. As they were walking back from the training field to Braxus' home, Braxus decided to make a comment about the sparring match they had fought earlier.  
  
"Well, Ranma, I'm quite impressed with your combat skills. You've got to show me some of your martial arts sometime," asked Braxus. Not many opponents his age could keep up with him, especially without a weapon.  
  
'Maybe I could learn from him; and I could become even better, especially as I'm going to the monastery next year,' thought Braxus.  
  
"Yeah, Ranma, where did you learn that particular style of fighting? There's not many people who practice that style apart from the Kai warriors and some foreign tribal warriors I've encountered in my travels," Banedon added, impressed.  
  
"As I told you before, I learnt all that I know from my father; he may be a stupid idiot, but he's no slouch in the ways of martial arts," explained Ranma.   
  
'Hmmm... Braxus is extremely good with what he knows; he has that extra reach from his sword that prevented me from getting in close enough. Maybe I could ask him to teach me what he knows?' thought Ranma.  
  
"Hey, Banedon, where are you staying?" asked Braxus.  
  
"Well... I haven't decided where I'm going to stay yet; maybe at an inn somewhere?" replied Banedon.  
  
"Nonsense, my friend, no friend of mind is going to stay at some inn! Why don't you stay at my home? We've got plenty of room, and mother would love for you stay for a while," answered Braxus.  
  
"You're sure about that?" replied Banedon, making absolutely sure it was safe to stay with Braxus and Ranma.  
  
"Of course," answered Braxus.  
  
"Fine then, I suppose I could stay for a few weeks before I have to return to Toran," replied Banedon.  
  
"Hey Ranma, Banedon's going to stay with us for a few days; maybe he could show some of his simple magic tricks to you!" teased Braxus, knowing that he could annoy Banedon about his magical skill and talent.  
  
He did know not to p**s him off too much, otherwise he might do something bad to him; nothing permanently because he was a friend, but the last time he'd got mad at someone, he gave him a nasty electric shock.  
  
"THEY ARE NOT SOME SIMPLE MAGIC TRICKS!!!" shouted Banedon. Ranma was surprised and caught off guard by Banedon's outburst.   
  
'Man... Banedon's sure got a strong battle aura when he gets angry,' thought Ranma.  
  
"Relax, Banedon. I'm sorry, okay? I'm only joking," replied Braxus, currently making warding gestures as he tried to calm him down, which Banedon did eventually.  
  
"I'm sorry, too, about my outburst, but sometimes I get really annoyed with people who think I am a simple trickster rather than a wizard," apologised Banedon to Ranma and Braxus.  
  
"Apology accepted," replied Ranma.  
  
'Mental note to myself: Don't p**s off Banedon about his magical skills,' thought Ranma.  
  
After that, the trio made their way back to Braxus' home.  
  
***  
  
Nearby the trio  
  
A mysterious figure stood in the shadows watching the trio walking back home. No definite details could be determined about the person because of the hood/cloak that covered most of the face and body, except that it was a female, her red haired ponytail sticking out of her clothing.  
  
'So those are three that I have predicted will contribute to the saving of Sommerlund; this could be fun,' thought the mysterious person as a mischievous smile came to her lips.  
  
The mysterious figure watched the trio disappears around the corner, then she disappeared into the shadows.  
  
TBC...  
  
*** 


	5. Chapter 3

Ranma/Lone Wolf Crossover Fanfiction  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma 1/2 or the Lone Wolf Series or any other characters. The rights to Ranma 1/2 belong to Rumiko Takahashi and for the Lone Wolf Series, Joe Dever. This story is created solely for entertainment purposes and no profits are gained from this.  
  
Wild Horse of Kai  
  
By Montymouse  
  
' ' - Thought  
" " - Speech  
  
Chapter Three - The Journey to Sommerlund Part 1  
  
***  
  
One Month Later   
At the Village in Durenor  
  
Ranma, Banedon and Braxus made a promise between themselves that they would always be there for each other in times of great need. Banedon decided to stay in the village for a couple of weeks before he had to leave in order to start his apprenticeship with the Guildmasters in Toran. During his stay Banedon was starting to like Ranma for his carefree and inquisitive nature, especially in the fields of martial arts and magic. Banedon was eventually persuaded to teach Ranma a few magic tricks that could help him and Braxus out of a couple of sticky situations. Before Banedon left the village, Ranma and Braxus wished him the best of luck and promised that if they were ever in the city of Toran they would visit him.  
  
One Year Later  
  
During the time that Ranma stayed with the Stormgard family, Oriah decided to adopt Ranma as her own son, mainly because Ranma didn't have any friends or family here in this world, and also because Ranma was fitting in quite nicely as part of the family. Besides, Oriah treated him as her own, so why not make if official with the village council, which she did with Ranma's permission. The other reason why she adopted Ranma was because after hearing Ranma's story, she wanted to give Ranma a stable and loving family that he hadn't been given the chance to experience when he was with his biological father, Genma Saotome. Ranma was of course overjoyed at the proposal of being with a loving family. He finally had a mother to look up to; he had only a few memories of his own mother. Braxus was understandably happy as he now had a brother to talk to and train with.  
  
Time went by, and Ranma had grown a bit taller and become physically stronger due to a proper diet and the medical attention from his adoptive mother. Eventually everyone in the village accepted Ranma as a member of the Stormgard family despite his foreign appearance. Besides, Ranma's friendly nature made the villagers like him rather than dislike him. A few months later, Braxus' father came back from his duties patrolling the borders and soon accepted Ranma as his own after Oriah managed to persuade him, something she was very good at. From his experience he could see that Ranma had very good combat talent and skill and would be better if he was trained right, so he made up his mind to teach Ranma along with his son in the ways of the sword and archery.  
  
Friends and family were surprised - especially Jerek - at how well Ranma adapted to the Stormgard family style of swordsmanship in those few short months. Also, Oriah had decided to teach Ranma a couple of useful healing techniques and spells as training sometimes could be rough and hard - accidents could happen. Another reason she taught Ranma was because both her sons often came back to her healing hut with all sorts of bruises and minor bone fractures due to them often going all-out in their daily sparring matches.  
  
Three Years Later   
  
Ranma Stormgard, formerly known as Ranma Saotome, was fitting in quite well in his new life, and he wished that sometimes his previous life had been like this, having friends, family and a normal life. As Ranma grew up in this New World he soon learnt the cultures and traditions that Magnamund had to offer. Soon Ranma was on a par with Braxus in their usual sparring matches; and vice versa as Ranma taught Braxus what he knew about Martial Arts on the village training field, which always drew a crowd from the village. It was becoming quite entertaining for the local villagers to watch the mixture of both styles - the sword and martial arts - and to see Braxus, who was the best in the village, sparring with his adopted brother with his own special style of combat. It was fun to watch while travellers and journeymen sat there and watched in awe at the things the villagers had seen before. So even travellers commented that those two could potentially become the best fighters in the Lastlands.  
  
Watching Ranma and Braxus' every step with keen interest from afar were the Goddess Ishir and her red-haired female companion.  
  
***  
  
Late Afternoon at the Stormgard Residence  
  
In the main living room Ranma and Braxus were sat at a table, talking about general things. Watching those two having their discussion was an older man who was Braxus' father, Jerek Stormgard; the family resemblance between them great, Braxus having inherited his facial features and his eyes. Oriah was currently in the kitchen preparing supper.  
  
Looking beneath Jerek's face and appearance, it was apparent that he held great experience and strength due to his occupation as a Border Ranger. On his face he had twin scars to the side of his left eye, attesting to his long battle experience. Anyone who didn't know him would sense something calculating and emotionless about him, while to people close to him he was the complete opposite, highly protective of his family. He was currently listening carefully to the conversation between his two sons about going to Sommerlund.  
  
"Ranma, why don't you join the order of the Kai with me when I go to the monastery in Sommerlund? Besides, it will be a great experience for both of us," Braxus said as he tried again to persuade Ranma to go with him.  
  
Ranma was still unconvinced about his brother's proposal.  
  
"Hmm... I'm still unsure if this is a good idea. Why do you want to join them anyway? I heard that it's quite uncommon for people from Durenor to join the élite order. Mainly it's only Sommlending that usually join," Ranma asked, having found this out from the local villagers and travellers who visited the village.  
  
"Well... I'm half Sommlending anyway as my mother is from Sommerlund, but there are other reasons why I want to join the warriors of Kai. The main reason is..." Braxus explained what had happened when he was four years old.  
  
*Flashback*  
  
Braxus was four years old and was with his father Jerek. They were coming back from an outdoor trip in Sommerlund. He wanted his son Braxus to experience what the outside world was like and to teach him some very basic survival skills while not putting his son in any danger (unlike Genma). Braxus loved to spend time with his father as he saw new things in a different perspective that he wouldn't have seen if he had stayed in town. They were currently travelling back from the woodlands and were heading towards Hitchford, near Toran, where Oriah was waiting for her husband and son to return. Braxus was currently on Jerek's shoulders, generally observing his surroundings as his father was walking along the path.  
  
Suddenly Jerek stopped walking, quickly took Braxus off his shoulders and gently put him down on the ground. Braxus was about the say something but Jerek quickly motioned for him not to say a word. Jerek quickly whispered to Braxus to find somewhere to hide as he had sensed an ambush party ahead. Braxus understood what his father had told him and quickly hid in a nearby tree, watching as his father drew his sword and crept ahead. Moments later he heard the sound of men shouting and fighting his father. As Braxus' curiosity got the better of him he wanted to see his father in action, so he moved from his hiding place to the last place he had seen his father. Once he was there, he quickly hid in a bush nearby and watched his father take out two of thugs that would have ambushed them.   
  
Suddenly an arm came round Braxus' neck and lifted him up as a knife pressed against his small neck.  
  
"Father, HELP!!!" was all Braxus had to say as he struggled to escape, but it was no use as he was held tight.   
  
This caused Jerek to stop beating the heck out of his opponents, turn to face the person that held his only son and approach him.  
  
"Release my son now and I'll let you live," shouted Jerek, wanting his son to be safe.  
  
"No, first you drop your weapon and give me all the money you have and I might release him alive," replied the thug as pressed his knife against Braxus' neck to emphasise the point.  
  
Jerek was in trouble; he could have easily defeated them all, but his son was in danger and four other guys surrounded him. He also knew that if he gave in to their demands, his son would still die no matter what he did. He was in serious trouble until...  
  
Suddenly an arrow came for nowhere and...   
  
Struck the thug who was holding the young child by his neck right between the eyes. Jerek quickly rushed to the thug before he could do anything to his son. The four other guys quickly looked around to see who had fired the arrow that had killed their leader. Soon a cloaked person came out of the forest with a bow in his hand. He didn't have anything recognizable about him except for one thing: a medal that contained a symbol, a symbol that represented a KAI LORD.   
  
As the Kai Lord approached the thugs, he slung his bow over his shoulder and drew his broadsword from its scabbard in order to engage the thugs. Two of them immediately bolted but were blocked by Jerek after he had placed his son in a safe and secure place. The remaining two engaged the Kai Lord but were easily cut down - they had no chance against a Kai Lord. Jerek managed to take out one of them and he was about to fire his bow after the fleeing bandit, but the Kai Lord stopped him.  
  
"Leave him be, he's not worth it," spoke the Kai Lord as the bandit disappeared out of sight. Jerek nodded and put away his bow.  
  
"Praise Ishir, I am in your debt for saving my son," replied Jerek gratefully as he went to his son.  
  
"It is my duty to protect the people of Sommerlund," replied the Kai Lord as he noticed that the child in his father's arms was watching him with awe and respect.  
  
"May I know the name of my son's saviour?" asked Jerek, wanting to know who this Kai Lord was.  
  
"My chosen Kai name is Storm Hawk. It is time for me to go now; have a safe journey back and may Ishir protect you," replied the Kai Lord as he walked back to his home.  
  
"Thank you once again," shouted Jerek, but the Kai Lord simply melted back into the forest. Braxus wondered if he could become one of them because he was impressed and awed by the skills of that Kai Lord. Braxus silently promised himself that one day he would be a Kai Lord when he grew up.   
  
"Come on, son, we'd better go to see your mother now," said Jerek as he carried his son on his shoulders, and they continued on their journey.   
  
*End of Flashback*  
  
"So that's the real reason why you wanted to joined the Kai order in Sommerlund?" asked Ranma.   
  
'Maybe I should join Braxus; anyway these Kai warriors protect the people which a Martial Artist is supposed to do; and maybe I could learn something new from these people. Otherwise I think I might be bored if I chose an ordinary job around here,' thought Ranma. He thought about it for a couple of minutes then decided to give his decision about his brother's proposal.  
  
"Alright Braxus, I'll join you when we go to Sommerlund," Ranma said, watching his brother's reaction to his decision.  
  
"Great! I'd probably be a bit nervous if I went by myself to Sommerlund, and you won't regret this Ranma, it will just be a big adventure!" Braxus said happily, now knowing that he would have someone to talk to when he left to train at the Kai Monastery.  
  
"So when do we leave?" asked Ranma.  
  
"We leave next month, and father knows how to get to Sommerlund, right father?" answered Braxus.  
  
"Sure son. If this is what you want to be, your mother and myself will support you all the way. But first I have to tell you how to get there the best way," replied his father.   
  
'Just imagine: both of my sons becoming the best Kai warriors from Durenor will bring great honour to our name,' thought Jerek proudly as he remembered how talented and skilled both his sons were. He then got up and went to his study room to get a map of the Lastlands to show both regions of Durenor and Sommerlund.  
  
Once he found the map he was looking for, he then unrolled the map on the table and started to explain to his sons how to get to Sommerlund.  
"Now listen carefully, both of you, and memorise what I have to say. The location of the Kai Monastery is near a forested area to the west, outside the capital city of Sommerlund, Holmgard. The quickest route I know is by sea rather than going through the wasteland of the Wildlands by horse. So once you are ready to leave our village, you will have to make your way to the nearest town of Blave and then make your way Northwest to Port Bax; this will probably take a day or so by horse. Once there, I know a merchant captain who owes me a few favours, he will take you across the Gulf of Durenor, past the Kirlundin Isles, to the port of Anskavern in Sommerlund. This will take you take a least a week, give or take a few days. Do you understand what I'm saying?" Jerek checked on Ranma and Braxus to see if they understood, and both of them nodded. Then he proceeded with the rest of instructions on how to get there.  
  
"Once you have reached the port at Anskavern, you should rest for a few days before continuing the rest of your journey. Try to find Saria Ryder; she's your mother's sister and she currently owns an inn. She will gladly accommodate you and will show you the right way to your next destination. Also, she would love to see you, Braxus, especially since she hasn't seen you for ages, or even Ranma here," Jerek said.  
  
"Yes... I think it would be a good idea to stop and visit your aunt. She hasn't seen you, Braxus, since you will only four years old," added Oriah as she came in with a pot of stew that she placed on the table.  
  
"Also, she would like to see our newest family member; that's you, Ranma!" Oriah pointed to Ranma. 'She will be surprised when Braxus and Ranma turn up at her inn... maybe I should send a letter to her to let her know that those two are coming,' thought Oriah as she set the table.   
  
"After both of you have rested for a few days, you should then proceed along the road following the northern coastline westwards till you reach the Mage City of Toran. Hey, isn't that the town where your friend Banedon is studying?" asked Jerek.  
  
"Yes, it is. Hey, Ranma, remember the promise we made? Why not visit Banedon and see how he's doing as we're going to pass by that city anyway?" replied Braxus. Both he and Ranma had promised Banedon that if they were ever in Toran they would visit him.  
  
"Sure, why not," nodded Ranma as he had wanted to see his friend Banedon. 'Maybe he's improved while learning under the Guildmasters,' thought Ranma as he had seen what he could do when he was practicing his magic.  
  
"Once you have reached the Mage City of Toran, you should head southwest through the woods and you should easily spot the Kai Monastery above the tree lines as it is along the River Unoram," finished Jerek as he rolled up the map and handed it to Braxus.   
  
"Any questions?" asked Jerek to make sure they hadn't misunderstood and wouldn't get lost.  
  
"Nope," answered both at the same time.   
  
"Fine, then both of you should get your equipment and supplies ready; both of you will leave next month. But first..." Jerek went to his room, and when he came back he was carrying a large wooden chest. He then placed the chest down and unlocked it, pulling two items from the chest. The first item was a beautifully crafted shortsword, which he gave to Braxus.  
  
"Now, Braxus, this weapon has been in our family for many generations; it is our family heirloom that my father gave to me to pass it on to the next generation of the Stormgards. This is my gift to you to pass it on to your son." Jerek handed the shortsword to Braxus.  
  
"I... I don't know what to say," replied a speechless Braxus as he examined the sword for any flaws and weaknesses in its design; he found none.   
  
'Wow... this sword must be worth quite a lot and it's flawless,' thought Braxus.   
  
"Don't say anything, just make the Stormgard family name proud when you and Ranma become Kai Lords," answered Jerek. He turned to face Ranma and handled to him the second item - a magnificent silver bow. The reaction he got from Ranma was quite similar to Braxus'.  
  
"Ranma, as you are my adopted son and I do consider you as part family Stormgard, I give you this, the second heirloom of our family. This bow is made of oak of a silver tree and crafted by the best craftsmen. I won it in a contest in the town of Duadon in my youth. You can't miss with this bow because of its quality. This I give to you." Jerek handed the bow to Ranma who was looking at its craftsmanship and beauty.  
  
After they concluded their discussion and put away their father's gifts, they started to tuck into the supper that Oriah had prepared for them.  
  
***  
  
Somewhere in Magnamund  
  
Two individuals were talking to each other about something. One of them was quite obviously the Goddess Ishir, while the second person was wearing a cloak with only a red-haired ponytail visible.  
  
"Now then, I want you to keep a eye on those two. When they begin their journey to Sommerlund, please try not cause too much trouble for them," explained Ishir as she asked the red-haired person to behave herself.  
  
"Why... Ishir, are you actually accusing me of causing trouble?" replied the red-haired, pony-tailed female, trying to act all cute and innocent.  
  
"You know what I mean," replied Ishir. 'I knew it was too much to ask, just to keep her out of mischief,' thought Ishir as she groaned inwardly.  
  
"Alright, alright, I promise I will TRY to behave myself," smirked the red-haired pony-tailed female. 'Besides, I think that Ranma is kinda cute,' she thought as she disappeared.  
  
'Somehow I really doubt that,' thought Ishir.  
  
***  
  
One Month Later  
  
It was a warm, sunny day in Durenor, and today was the day that Ranma and Braxus started their journey to Sommerlund. There, outside the village, was a crowd of villagers who were waiting to say their farewells and wish luck to the two departing riders, who were ready to leave. Also in the crowd were Jerek and Oriah Stormgard who were saying their goodbyes to their sons.  
  
Both Ranma and Braxus were dressed in the normal outfits of journeymen and carried rucksacks over their shoulders; also they held the reins of their horses in their hands. Ranma had the bow that had been given him by his adopted father along with his sword, placed securely in the saddle of his horse; while Braxus had the short sword by his waist, sheathed in its scabbard. Both were listening to what their mother and father had to say.   
  
"Now Ranma, Braxus, follow my friend here; he will lead you out of the village and to your next destination. When you reach Port Bax, you should find the tavern called 'The Dragon's Fang'. In there you should find a merchant who goes by the name Grimbold and give him this," Braxus father said as he gave Braxus a simple ring with some sort of symbol.  
  
"Okay father," replied Braxus as he pocketed the ring in the pocket of his tunic.  
  
"Also, when you reach the port of Anskavern, could you please visit your aunt Saria and give her this; she will know who this is from," Oriah said as she gave a simple necklace to Ranma.  
  
"Fine, Mother," replied Ranma as he placed the necklace in his pouch.  
  
It took a while for them to actually start going on their journey because they had to stay goodbye to all the people whom Braxus had known since childhood, having lived there all his life. For Ranma, the time he had spent here made him call it home for the first time, and he would never forget how welcome he was made when he had first come to the village. Now it was time for Ranma and his brother to go on their journey. With one last glance at the villagers and their family, it was time to go. As they journeyed their way toward their next destination, both Ranma and Braxus thought about what would lie in store for them once they reached Sommerlund.   
  
It actually took day and a half to reach the town of Blave, and they took this opportunity to check on supplies and equipment. Once they had got all they needed, they were ready to continue on toward their second destination. Ranma still got some odd stares and glances from the local population because of the way he looked, but he usually ignored them and carried on with what he was doing. Some of them recognised the two from when they had visited their village. When it was time to go and both of them were ready, they then proceeded to follow the map toward the next town, which Port Bax.  
  
Ranma noticed that the province of Durenor was quite beautiful with wide-open forests and grassland; also the air was cleaner than his own homeworld, mainly because they didn't have any aeroplanes or cars. It reminded him of the training trip as he and his father had traveled through vast areas of China until he the actual training had started. As they were following the regularly used path on horseback toward, Port Bax, Ranma noticed a signpost pointing northwest along the path. The sign simply read: 'Port Bax 30 MILES'.  
  
"Well... Braxus, it seems like we're going the right way. So when we reach Port Bax, do you know what this Grimbold looks like?" asked Ranma.  
  
"Nope, haven't the faintest clue who this Grimbold is," Braxus replied. This almost caused Ranma to facefault off his horse, but he held it together and remained in his saddle.  
  
"So tell me Braxus, if we don't know what this Grimbold looks like, how the heck are we going to find him in Port Bax?" questioned Ranma. He wanted to know how they were going to find their contact when they got there.   
  
'It will probably take ages to find him, and if he is not there, well we're really screwed for transport,' thought Ranma.  
  
"Father told us to find a bald, overweight, old merchant sea captain, who should be one of the taverns in Port Bax, probably drunk," he replied, stating what his father had said about him.  
  
"Well that REALLY helps, doesn't it?" replied Ranma sarcastically. "It's like finding a needle in a haystack. There are probably more taverns than ships in port Bax; it's going to take us ages to find him. So how the heck we going to find him?" asked Ranma.  
  
"We're supposed to find a tavern call the 'The Dragon's Fang', that's where the merchant we're supposed to meet usually drinks," replied Braxus as he read out a note he given to him.  
  
"That really narrows down the list; all we have to do is to the find the tavern," Ranma said.  
  
"Don't worry, Ranma; we will find him," assured Braxus, noticing Ranma was looking a bit unsure about this.  
  
"Okay," Ranma said as he cheered up a bit.  
  
As the two made their way to Port Bax, Ranma felt that someone was watching them from a distance (someone was watching them), but his senses told him that it wasn't yet a threat. Still, Ranma remained cautious and made a mental note to keep on guard for anything that they could encounter on their journey.   
  
***  
  
Somewhere in China  
  
Genma was worried; not for his son but for himself. After having been chased across China by those stupid Amazon and Musk warriors he was tired and hungry. Without his naïve son Ranma as his bargaining tool, it meant that Genma had to put some EFFORT in rather than use his son to get what he wanted.  
  
"Ungrateful Child, why do I have to have such a pathetic child?" muttered Genma, who had been searching for his naïve son for two years. Not that he was putting much effort into the search. Another factor why he was worried was that if he couldn't find his son he was in serious trouble with his wife Nodoka, and over a certain Tendo agreement (conveniently forgetting all the other agreement he had made with his son).   
  
At that same time, a lightning bolt coming from nowhere struck Genma, charring his clothes and himself without too much damage.  
  
'Damn!' was the last thoughts that Genma had before he passed out.   
  
Behind a nearby tree, stood the red-haired female.   
  
'Serves him right for treating Ranma like that. Maybe I should do something more permanent to Genma,' thought the stranger before she disappeared.  
  
***  
  
Port Bax, Durenor  
  
Port Bax was one of the main ports that Durenor used to trade with her neighbors, mainly Sommerlund. It was a fairly large port with ships coming in and out its harbours every day. The people who came to Port Bax ranged from travellers to rich merchants wanting to off-load their goods and do business in Durenor. During the day the docks of Port Bax were a hive of activity, with ships arriving from all corners of Magnamund bearing goods and passengers; while during the night, most of the population of Port Bax disappeared to their hammocks and bunks, or into their local taverns or, usually for the seriously drunk, curled up in a corner in an alleyway.  
  
Two journeymen were on the docks searching for something. Of course they were Ranma and Braxus.  
  
"So, Braxus, we're here now, so where is this tavern we're supposed to find?" Ranma said as he saw at least seven taverns along the dock.  
  
"Well... the tavern we're supposed to find is along this wharf. Ah... over there." Braxus pointed to one of the taverns; earlier he had asked a few sailors where the 'Dragon's Fang' was.  
  
The tavern that Braxus was pointing to was quite similar to all the other taverns along the wharf, but the sign - a dragon's head with its large teeth - showed that it was indeed the tavern that they were looking for. The atmosphere of the tavern was quite lively, and it seemed that everyone inside was having good time.  
  
As Braxus and Ranma went into the tavern, they could see all sorts of people drinking and generally getting drunk. As with any place that Ranma went to, he was the centre of attention for a couple of minutes, though this didn't really bother Ranma because he was confident that he could beat the c**p out of anyone who made fun of him.  
  
The people in the tavern assumed that Ranma was a traveller from somewhere in southern Magnamund due to his looks. Some of the barmaids and waitress were giving Ranma seductive looks as they found his exotic looks quite attractive, while the guys who were with the barmaids were giving him jealous death stares. This caused Ranma to feel a bit nervous as he had little experience with the female gender. As the two moved through the crowded tavern toward the bar, it was Braxus who spoke.  
  
"Err... Do you know a merchant named Grimbold?" Braxus asked the Bartender.   
  
"You're not like my usual customers. A rough lot comes in here, most days. Besides, I won't tell you anything until both of you buy a drink first," replied the Bartender.  
  
"Alright... Me and friend will have a pint of ale each," answered Braxus. He looked towards Ranma who nodded back. Then he reached into his pouch and pulled out two Gold Crowns. The bartender took the two Gold Crowns and bit into them to see if they were real or not. Satisfied that they were real, he poured out two pints of ale and handed them to Ranma and Braxus.  
  
" Your man is over there." The barman pointed to a corner of the tavern. Sitting there was a merchant who matched the description that Braxus' father had given to him.  
  
"Thanks," replied Braxus to the Barman who nodded and turned to his other customers.  
  
"Come on, Ranma. The man we're looking for is over there," he said as he tugged on Ranma's sleeve. Ranma was still holding onto his pint of ale and was about to have a sip of it.  
  
As the two went to the corner the barman had pointed to, they asked if he was the person that they were looking for, and it was indeed Grimbold. It actually took them quite a while to make him sober enough to confirm it because he was obliviously drunk. Once he recognised the ring that their father had given to Braxus, he gladly agreed to take them to Anskavern due to Jerek saving him and his ship when pirates had attacked him one time. Grimbold had promised Jerek that if he needed anything to just ask; but first he politely asked Ranma and Braxus to carry him. It took the combined effort of Ranma and Braxus to carry the fat merchant back to his ship. They also remembered to fetch their horses from the stable where they had left them in order to find him.  
  
Grimbold's ship was called The Lady Luck and was quite similar to all the other merchant ships that were in the harbour. Once they were onboard, Grimbold told them that they would set sail at first light and told them to get some rest below decks. The merchant pointed to some cabins below deck, which Ranma and Braxus accepted; having been on the road for quite a while, some rest would be appreciated.  
  
Once the sun had risen, it was time for the merchant ship The Lady Luck to set sail for Anskavern with Ranma and Braxus watching on deck as they left Port Bax.  
  
'So this is it, we're finally heading toward Sommerlund. I do hope we return to Durenor soon,' thought Ranma, while Braxus just stood on the deck, watching the town get smaller and smaller as the ship sailed out into the ocean.   
  
***  
  
Somewhere in the Gulf of Durenor, the merchant ship The Lady Luck was making her voyage towards the port of Anskavern in Sommerlund. Above deck were the crew and captain making sure that they were heading the right way looking out for any danger. Along with the crew were Ranma and Braxus who were bored just watching the empty sea and the occasional ship that passed by. They were told that they were making good progress and, if the weather held, they would reach Anskavern in two or three days.  
  
Currently the two were practicing their skills just to pass the time.  
  
"Hey, Braxus, when we reach Anskavern, do remember where the inn that Saria owns is?" questioned Ranma, who was continuing to spar with his brother.  
  
"Yeah, I do remember. It's been awhile since I've been to Sommerlund, but I still remember the location of the inn," replied Braxus as he threw his punch towards Ranma's head, narrowly missing as Ranma dodged it and counterattacked with his own.  
  
"Good. I don't want to spend half the day searching for the inn like we did in Port Bax," he said as he did a roundhouse kick to the head followed by a leg sweep. Braxus blocked the roundhouse kick but was tripped up by the leg sweep.  
  
"Ouch!" replied Braxus as he landed on his butt. Looking up, he saw Ranma's hand extended out, which he accepted to pick himself up.  
  
"You're getting better bro."   
  
"Yeah, I know, but you're still better at Martial Arts; but I'm still good with the sword," replied Braxus as he saw Ranma nodding to his statement.   
  
"True... but give me a few more months and I'll probably kick your butt at your own game," answered Ranma.  
  
"We'll see. It's getting late now, we'd better get below deck." The two went below deck to get some rest.  
  
Four days passed. It had been an uneventful trip, apart from the sea storms and the attempted pirate attack. From a distance they could see the coastline of Sommerlund, and most importantly, the port of Anskavern.  
  
TBC...  
  
*** 


	6. Chapter 4

Ranma/Lone Wolf Crossover Fanfiction  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma 1/2 or the Lone Wolf Series or any other characters. The rights to Ranma 1/2 belong to Rumiko Takahashi and for the Lone Wolf Series Joe Dever. This story is created solely for entertainment purposes and no profit as gained from this.   
  
Wild Horse of Kai  
  
By Montymouse  
  
' ' - Thought  
" " - Speech  
  
Chapter Four - The Journey to Sommerlund Part 2  
  
***  
  
In the Port of Anskavern, A Province of Sommerlund  
  
The weather in Anskavern was quite warm and sunny. As with any other shipping dock it was quite busy, with everyone unloading and loading goods and cargo onto the merchant ships that had recently arrived in Anskavern. This was one of the main ports, which Sommerlund actually used to trade with their allies and neighbors. Ships from all over Magnamund come here, and we see in the corner of the dock there lies an anchored merchant ship with the name the 'The Lady Luck' written along its hull that has recently arrived in Sommerlund. Currently the ship was being unloaded of its cargo from Durenor, and nearby the ship were three people.  
  
"Thanks for taking us to Sommerlund, Grimbold." Braxus said as he shook the sea captain's hand.  
  
"Yeah thanks a lot," added in Ranma as he checked on their equipment and supplies before they went their separate ways.  
  
"No problem lads, anything for a friend; and thanks for helping me fight off those so- called pirates. Ah... it brings back old memories just like your father did before. Oh... yeah, when you see your father say I said hi to him, alright," replied the merchant Grimbold.  
  
"No problem. Bye." As the two walked away from the merchant captain they started to look around for their Aunt as they had promised to their mother that they would visit her when they reached Anskavern.   
  
Anskavern was a fairly large place; not as big as Holmgard or Hammerdal, but still it was quite impressive as they saw the mixture of cultures and traditions that was going on around them. The only problem was that Anskavern had grown bigger than Braxus remembered it to be, the last time he was here. Both Ranma and Braxus were still wandering around the place, trying to find the Inn that their aunt was supposed to own.   
  
As with any other place that Ranma went to, he still got some odd stares and was always the center of attention when he walked across the public square in the center of Anskavern. Ranma usually ignored them, but always felt uneasy when the female population his own age were staring at him. It was the same look that Ukyou gave him when she thought he wasn't looking.  
  
"Braxus, do you actually know where this Inn is? We've been walking for ages and it feels like we're walking around in circles," Ranma asked, as he could have sworn that they were walking in circles as he kept seeing similar things as they wandered about.   
  
"I generally do know where I am going, it just that it's been quite a while since I was here, and it has grown a bit bigger than I remembered," replied Braxus as he tried to remember any landmarks or features that could point to where his Auntie lived.   
  
They eventually came to a junction that divided the path that they were on, in three directions. The one on the right led them to another part of the city, the middle one seemed to lead them to the market square, while the right path led down to a couple of Inns and shops.  
  
"So Braxus, which way?" Ranma asked as he tried to figure out which route they should take.  
  
"Down there." Braxus pointed to the right path as he saw a sign that he remembered from his memories. 'It has to be, that's the only thing that I remember,' thought Braxus as he hoped that they finally found what they were looking for.  
  
"Okay then, the right path it is," replied Ranma. 'This better be the right place as my feet are killing me wandering around this city!' thought Ranma as he looked up at the sign.  
  
'The Wayfarer Inn' the sign simply stated.  
  
Both Ranma and Braxus decided this was the correct inn as they had searched over half the city and there wasn't much sunlight left. Hopefully this inn would be the right one and they would eventually find their auntie that owned the place. It was getting a bit dark outside and they needed somewhere to stay before they could proceed to their next destination.   
  
As the two walked into the inn, they noticed that it wasn't crowded or cramped like some inns they visited in Anskavern. This inn had a fairly relaxing and friendly atmosphere to it. To one side of the Inn was a small bar and on the other side was the reception area. Behind the reception desk stood an older, beautiful female who had blondish hair and pale green eyes. She was currently talking to her customers. Ranma and Braxus decided to ask her about who owned this inn, and approached the reception desk. Not being rude, they waited patiently for her to finish her conversation with her guests. Once she had finished her conversation, she then turned toward the two.  
  
"Hello there. Welcome to the Wayfarer Inn. How may I help you?" was her standard response to all her new customers.   
  
"Err... are you Saria Ryder?" asked Ranma as he saw the Innkeeper gave a cautious look at both Ranma and Braxus. She was curiously wondering why these two strangers were looking for her.  
  
"Yes, I'm Saria Ryder, the owner of this Inn. What's your business with me?" asked Saria. She noticed that Braxus seems familiar to her, but couldn't place his face. Ranma, she had no clue about.   
  
'There's something familiar about him,' thought Saria as she carefully studied both of them, especially the person next to Ranma.  
  
"Saria, it's me, Braxus Stormgard. I'm your nephew," Braxus said to Saria before he turned to Ranma and asked him to give him the necklace that Oriah had given to Ranma. Once Braxus showed the necklace given by their mother to Saria, it only took her a moment to recognize it and, when she did, Braxus was instantly glomped tightly in the blink of an eye by Saria. Ranma just stood there and smiled at the happy reunion.  
  
'Well at least we found the right place,'' thought Ranma as he saw Saria asking Braxus a lot questions about him and her older sister. 'Better him than me,' he thought as he saw how Braxus was reacting to the sudden hug by Saria.  
  
"Oh Braxus, it's been such a long time since I saw you! The last time I saw you, you were about this high when my sister left to go to Durenor. How are you? How is my sister doing? Who is this person that is with you?" questioned Saria, as she wanted to know everything about her older sister and family. Not getting a response from him, she looked at Braxus' face, which was turning into a nice shade of blue.  
  
"Can't... Breathe..." whispered Braxus. She released him immediately, which made his face return to the right colour. Once he got his breath back he started to answer some of her questions.  
  
"Well... I'm fine, so is my mother. She's currently happily living in the village with my father Jerek in Durenor, and to answer your second question, meet Ranma Stormgard, my brother." Braxus smiled as he saw Saria's eyes widen at his statement and slowly turned to approach Ranma and meet the newest member of her family.   
  
'Oh no!' was the last thing that Ranma thought as two seconds later he was glomped by her in the same fashion as she had done with Braxus.  
  
"Welcome to the family Ranma. My name is Saria Ryder; I'm your auntie and the owner of this inn. Please come here and sit down." Saria pointed to a nearby empty table as she ushered them to sit down and to tell her all about what had happened since her older sister moved with Jerek and her son to Durenor.  
  
"Hey Natalie," Saria shouted across the inn to one of her waitresses. She was a younger woman than Saria, and beautiful, with blonde hair and brown eyes.   
  
"Yes... Saria," replied Natalie as she approached the table where Saria and her guests were sitting.  
  
"Please bring some food and drink for my guests here," called out Saria to her waitress, who nodded and quickly went into the kitchen. A few moments later Natalie came out with a large tray of food and drink. She then made her way to the table where Saria and her guests were sitting.  
  
"Here you go," she said as she placed the tray on the table. At that moment she then noticed both Ranma and Braxus who was sitting next to Saria.  
  
"So Saria, who are your guests? Are they single?" She winked seductively at Ranma and Braxus. As she noticed how handsome both of them were, especially Ranma with his exotic foreign looks, and his pigtail made him look even more adorable. The rest of the female staff of the Inn had also noticed the two that were currently with Saria.  
  
"Oh Nats, stop flirting with them. You always do this to everyone who you think is cute or single. Nats, these are my nephews Ranma and Braxus Stormgard. By the way, haven't you got other people to serve?" replied an annoyed Saria to get rid of her. Natalie always flirted with her male customers. It did bring in the customers, which was fine, but not right now.  
  
"Okay Saria, I'm going." Natalie said as she went back to her duties  
  
"So where were we?" Saria said as they continued their discussion from before Natalie came and interrupted them. They mainly discussed how they found Ranma was all alone in this world, and how Braxus' family adopted him. Saria had started to take a liking to Ranma and happily accepted Ranma as part of the family. Saria was also quite interested of course in what Braxus had to say because she hasn't seen her sister or her family for quite a while since they moved to Durenor as she stayed here to continue her business.  
  
'Maybe I should make some time to go on a trip to see my sister in Durenor,' thought Saria as she greatly missed her older sister despite her receiving letters from her on a regular basis. She couldn't leave yet as business in Anskavern was doing quite well; maybe she could hire someone to look after the inn. Putting aside her thoughts, she asked Ranma and Braxus a question.  
  
"So where are you two staying?" Saria asked as she noticed that it was getting quite dark and she knew that most of the inns in Anskavern were quite full right now. She knew that she had room left; only they were reserved for special guests.  
  
"Well... Our mother told us, you could accommodate us for a few days," replied Ranma, as they had nowhere else to stay because they spent most of their time looking for her.  
  
"Of course you can. Family is always welcome here, and anyway, I still got some rooms left in the inn. Besides, I want to know everything that has happen in your family in Durenor." She said as she got up from where she was sitting and walked over to the reception desk. She then got a set of keys from behind reception desk and threw them to Ranma who caught without trying.  
  
"Upstairs, second floor, third door on your left. I'll see you in the morning," Saria said as she left to attend to other customers who were waiting for her assistance. Ranma and Braxus simply nodded and picked up their things and followed the directions that Saria has given them to their room.   
  
"So Ranma, what do you think of your Aunt Saria?" Braxus asked as he tried to find the right room number along the hallway of the inn.   
  
'Now, where is that room?' thought Braxus. Most of the doors were the same, apart from the small numbers on them.  
  
"She seems quite nice and welcoming," replied Ranma. He remembered how tight he was glomped by her and he could swear he had felt his ribs crack under the pressure.   
  
"At least she likes you and accepted you as part of the family," Braxus said  
  
"Yeah. Come on Braxus, where is that room you're supposed to find?" Ranma was feeling a bit tired from all that walking around.  
  
"Here we are," Braxus replied as they came to their room and opened the door. In the room was a simple bunk bed, and it was nicely furnished with a table and a wardrobe in the corner. It was dark now, and they started to unpack their equipment and items. Ranma was starting to like this world because he had a caring family and it was nothing like his previous life; and now he met another member of his adopted family, Saria.  
  
"Goodnight Ranma." Braxus slept on the top of the bunk bed, which he had had to toss a coin for; he won the coin toss anyway.  
  
"Yeah Braxus. Goodnight to you too," replied Ranma as he slept on the bottom part of the bunk bed. Ranma thought about how much he had achieved in this world as he had a family to look up to and how he had made some friends. If he had stayed in his homeworld then things might have been different. He couldn't think about the things that his former father could have done to him if he had stayed with him.  
  
Outside the inn, on the roof of one of the houses opposite stood the red haired female.   
  
'So far, so good. No problems yet apart from that pirate attack, but they handled it like experts. Hmm... I wonder where that idiot Genma is right now? Maybe I should see him.' She smiled evilly and vanished into the shadows.  
  
***  
  
Ranma and Braxus spent a few days at Saria's Inn where Ranma learnt more about Sommerlund and her family history. Saria was quite pleased that her older sister was doing well for herself in Durenor and finding out both her sister's sons were going to enroll at the Kai Monastery was exciting news to her. This was because anyone who became a Kai master or Lord brought great honour and respect to their families, and no family member had ever become one yet.   
  
They spent most of their time practicing their skills and helping Saria out around the inn. Every time they explored the area, it was Ranma that seemed to be the main focus of attention. Most of the people in Anskavern were wondering where Ranma was from, as they had never seen anyone who looked or fought like that from watching their sparring fights. Even the merchants and traders had a hard time placing Ranma in Magnamund, but they assumed that Ranma was probably from a place far away from the Lastlands, due south.   
  
There were some occasional fight contests with the local people trying to see how good Ranma and Braxus were. Of course, it was too much of a temptation to enter into the contests as it helped them train and also generated a bit of money for their journey. They used the money to purchase new equipment and supplies. Most of the fight contests were done in a matter of minutes with either Ranma or Braxus winning outright, which did draw in a large crowd because it was such good entertainment.  
  
Ranma could use a sword quite well but generally preferred to fight unarmed and use his martial arts. Braxus on the other hand was just plain good, and with the training of unarmed combat that he had received from Ranma he could take out most opponents with ease.   
  
Finally it was time for them to leave Anskavern, though they had enjoyed it here with their Aunt Saria and getting to know her again. We see Ranma and Braxus outside the Anskavern gatehouse with Saria and some of her staff from the inn. They were currently saying their goodbyes and wishing them a safe journey.  
  
"Now... Ranma and Braxus, you will visit little old me from time to time, won't you?" asked Saria in voice that dared them to disagree.  
  
"Of course we will, and thank you for you're hospitably Aunt Saria," replied Ranma as he checked that he had everything with him and got on his horse.  
  
"Yeah. It was nice to see you again Aunt Saria and I promise to visit you when I get the opportunity," Braxus said as he also got on his horse.   
  
"Here have this, you may need this." Saria threw a pouch to Braxus, who then opened the pouch, which to his surprise contained a lot of gold coins.  
  
'There must be about 40 gold crowns in here,' thought Braxus.  
  
"Aunt Saria... I can't accept this, this is too much," Braxus said as it was too much for her to give to him.   
  
"Just keep it... think of this as a gift for all your birthdays I missed, and you never know where it may come in handy," Saria simply replied.  
  
"Thank you Auntie," Braxus said  
  
"Come on Braxus let's go. Bye Aunt Saria," Ranma said as he waved to her and started to travel ahead of Braxus, who hopefully would catch him up.  
  
"Bye Auntie, we'll come visit as soon as possible." Braxus started to move on his horse and waved goodbye to her and her staff.   
  
"Bye you two. May you have a safe journey." Saria and her staff waved goodbye to them.  
  
'It's good to see them again, maybe I should start preparing for a trip to see my sister,' thought Saria as she turned back to her staff  
  
"Alright now. Back to work," Saria said to her staff.  
  
We see Braxus riding quite fast as he caught up to Ranma who was quite ahead of him.  
  
"Hey Ranma, wait up," called out Braxus. Ranma slowed down a bit to let him catch up. 'He just couldn't wait, couldn't he,' thought Braxus.  
  
Eventually he caught up with him and they headed westwards. They were currently following the coastline of Sommerlund so they wouldn't get lost, as it would give them a sense of direction. At night they could easily find their way due to Jerek's training in following the stars to pinpoint their location.   
  
"So Braxus, what is the next town on the your map anyway?" asked Ranma.   
  
Braxus then took out the map from his belt and unrolled the map and quickly scanned it to see what their position was and their next destination.  
  
"Toran, that way," was Braxus' reply as he pointed westward as indicated and then he put away his map.   
  
"Okay, Toran it is," replied Ranma as they headed toward the next destination.  
  
'It'll be nice to see Banedon again, I wonder how good he is now?' thought Ranma, as the two headed towards the next city. It would probably take them a day or so to get there but they weren't in a rush.  
  
***  
  
The Magnificent City of Toran Home of the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star  
  
Finally our two journeymen Ranma and Braxus had arrived at the Mage City of Toran. They were currently looking for the mage friend Banedon as they had promised that they would see him if they every passed through Toran. Braxus earlier had asked some directions from the local people to where the Magician's Guild was. The locals said that the guild was located near the center of city and that they should spot some magicians along the way, which should indicate that they were getting near.  
  
As the two explored the city, they found Toran to have a high concentration of magical and mystic energy surrounding the city. It's probably due to the city, being the home of the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star where the best magicians of Sommerlund and the Lastlands go to learn and teach. As Ranma and Braxus moved closer toward the center of Toran they noticed there were many young magicians and apprentices practicing their magical talents and skills. Some of them were good at what they were doing while others were prone to have slight accidents.   
  
As the two were walking through the streets, some of the more wiser and experienced Guildmasters gave interesting stares and looks at Ranma, not because of his looks, but more into his chaotic aura that surrounded him which seemed to be naturally formed. Most of the apprentices in Toran found that some of their spells would turn out right if Ranma came close to them because his chaotic aura somehow disrupted some of spells being taught by their mentors. The Guildmasters had noticed that it was this certain pigtailed boy that was the sources of the interruption and came to the conclusion that it wasn't a serious problem and ordered their pupils to put more effort in their practicing.  
  
Finally they came to an open square where there were groups of young apprentices outside the guild entrance.  
  
"So Braxus, where do we start to look for our friend Banedon? He's got to be here somewhere," asked Ranma.  
  
"Alright Ranma, you go look over there while I go to the group near the guild," Braxus said as he went to a group of apprentices to ask if they knew where Banedon was. Ranma decided to go over to a nearby group in the corner of the square.  
  
'Maybe Banedon is over there?' thought Ranma as he made his way over to the group.   
  
As Ranma came closer to the crowd, he noticed a familiar person in the group who was currently chatting away with his fellow apprentices about magic and what they had learnt.  
  
'That's must be Banedon, I'd recognise that hair and clothing anywhere,' thought Ranma.  
  
As Ranma was about to ask the person who he was, the person suddenly turned around and immediately recognised Ranma and with a smile greeted him.  
  
"Ranma! How are you? Where's Braxus? When did you get here?" asked Banedon as he shook Ranma's hand in friendship.  
  
"Perfectly fine Banedon, we got here a few hours ago. Braxus is over there." Ranma pointed to where Braxus was.   
  
"Hey Braxus over here," called out Banedon which caught the attention of Braxus who immediately waved to him and started to make his way over to where Ranma and Banedon were.  
  
"So Banedon... How did you know I was behind you?" asked Ranma, as he hadn't said anything to warn Banedon that he was behind him.  
  
"I sensed your aura through my magical senses. You're the only one I know that has that particular aura around here," replied Banedon. He then turned to greet Braxus in the same way as he did with Ranma.   
  
"It's good to see you again. So, Banedon, how is your apprenticeship doing? Learnt any new spells or anything?" asked Braxus, as he wanted to know how strong Banedon was in the art of magic   
  
"It's good to see you again. I'm doing fine right now and yes I learnt some things that you will impress you, and some you wouldn't believe your eyes; maybe I could show it to you later," answered Banedon. At that point Banedon's teacher came out of the guild to call his students for their next lesson.  
  
"I better go now. I got a class to go to. Where are you staying in Toran?" Banedon quickly said as he could hear his Guildmaster calling his name.   
  
"Well, me and Ranma here are be staying at an inn called Wizard's Rest," answered Braxus.  
  
"You do know where it is, Banedon?" Ranma added to make sure that they could see him afterwards and talk about the old times   
  
"Sure I know where it is, by the corner of Key Street. Bye now." As Banedon waved his two friend's goodbye he hurried up and joined his class before his teacher got annoyed.  
  
***  
  
At the "Wizard's Rest" Inn  
  
It was in the afternoon and after Banedon had finished his lessons with his Guildmaster. He soon met up with his two friends at the Inn they had said they were staying at. The place where Ranma and Braxus were staying wasn't far from the Guild where Banedon was studying, and finding it wasn't a problem. He knew most of places in Toran anyway. As Banedon stepped into the inn to look for his two friends, someone called out his name.  
  
"Hey Banedon, over here." Banedon turned to face the person who had called him; it was Braxus who was waving his hand to indicate where they were. In the corner of the inn were Ranma and Braxus sitting down and they were about to have their supper.  
  
"Hello Braxus. Hello Ranma." Banedon walked over to the table.  
  
"Come Banedon, why don't you sit with us and have dinner? You must have worked up an appetite by now with that training." Braxus pointed out to an empty chair.  
  
"You're sure about that? I know how much you two can eat," asked Banedon.  
  
'Those two can out eat anyone I know. It's like they are eating machines rather human.' Banedon remembered the last time they had eaten dinner together.  
  
"Of course I'm sure, anyway I ordered enough food for the three of us," replied Braxus.  
  
"Come on Banedon, I promised to slow down and leave you some," Ranma added to persuade Banedon.  
  
"Well if you put it that way, of course I accept. I'm also feeling a bit hungry and why not, we haven't seen each other for quite a while now." Banedon pulled up a chair and joined them in their feast.  
  
Once the food and drink came, all three of them started to tuck into the feast that they had ordered. They generally talked about what has happened to them since Banedon left to go to Toran and weren't surprised at all about Ranma being adopted by Braxus' family according to what Ranma had told Banedon. He agreed whole-heartedly that Ranma should have a new start and life in this world.   
  
"So both of you are going to the Kai Monastery. Well I wish you the best of luck in training there. I know that the training regime is quite tough both mentally and physically but I know both of you will succeed," Banedon said as he finished off his meal.  
  
"Thanks for your support Banedon," replied Ranma.  
  
"Yeah thanks." Braxus lifted his cup to proposal a toast.  
  
"To our eternal friendship and future," Braxus said.  
  
"To our eternal friendship and to Kai," Banedon replied to Ranma and Braxus as he raised his cup.   
  
"To our eternal friendship and a new beginning for us," replied Ranma as he did the same.  
  
"Anyway I know you will become a powerful wizard someday when you get older Banedon. So on behalf of me and Ranma, we wish the best of luck."  
  
"Thanks. Maybe I'll see you at the Kai Monastery later on," replied Banedon as he sat back down.  
  
"Sure why not," answered Ranma.  
  
"It's getting late now so why don't we turn in for the night?" Braxus said as he received approving nods from Ranma and Banedon.  
  
"I agree, anyway I have to wake up early for my next lessons." Banedon got up from where he was sitting and started to leave. Braxus and Ranma also got up from where they were sitting and said their goodbyes to their old friend and turned in for the night.   
  
After that, the two decided to stay in Toran for a couple of more days and were quite impressed with the amount of magical talent Banedon had. Some of the spells were more powerful than before while Banedon was quite impressed on how Ranma adapted to his new life in Magnamund. Banedon even taught them a few more tricks and spells that they could possibly use which both of them knew would come in handy in the future. But it was time to leave Toran and their friend Banedon to continue their journey. Banedon also promised that he would visit them at the Kai Monastery when he had the chance in his training program. After saying their goodbyes, both Ranma and Braxus headed in to woodlands.  
  
***  
  
Late Afternoon... Somewhere in a forest near the river Tor  
  
The two journeymen were about a couple of miles outside the city limits of Toran heading towards the Kai Monastery. They were heading south west of Toran where the location of the monastery was but they had to go off the main road and through the woodlands. This meant that they had to leave their horses behind to navigate through the difficult terrain. It took them a couple of hour's non - stop walking through the dense woods. According to Braxus' map reading skills, he judged that they were about half way there.   
  
Ranma noticed that it was about to get dark soon and perhaps it would be a good idea for them to set up camp first as they felt a bit tired from all that trekking thought the woodlands.  
  
"Braxus, it's getting dark now why don't we set up camp otherwise it will be too dark to navigate through anyway. So how about it?" Ranma said to Braxus.  
  
"Yeah... I suppose you're right, we should make camp over that hill. There should be a clearing in the woodlands that would be ideal for a camp site," Braxus replied. Ranma nodded as they made their way to the clearing.  
  
Once in the clearing area they started to set up camp with Braxus out looking for some dry wood to light the fire in the middle of the camp while Ranma was in charge of setting up the tents and making sure everything was secure. Braxus then came back to the camp carrying quite a lot of dry wood and branches and promptly arranged them around the area marked as the fireplace. Then Ranma started to chant a small fire spell that Banedon taught him a while back at the village in Durenor. This wasn't a particularly strong spell but was enough to light a candle or to start a small fire without the need for matches. Once the fire was ablaze, both Ranma and Braxus stood around the fire to keep themselves warm from the chilling night.  
  
'It's a good thing that Banedon taught me this simple trick,' thought Ranma as he remembered the first time he used the spell that he learnt from Banedon. The result was that his clothes were set alight which wasn't very pleasant. Luckily Banedon had an ideal solution, mainly dumping a bucket of cold water over him.  
  
***  
  
Back in Ranma's home universe - China, Jusenkyo  
  
Genma Saotome was looking at this supposedly dangerous training ground; he had read about in a Chinese brochure. The only problem was that Genma couldn't read or speak a word of Chinese otherwise he would seen the bold danger warning in the brochure.   
  
'Hmm... Doesn't look that dangerous.' As he scanned the area, the only things he saw were bamboo poles sticking out of the pools of water. He did notice that there were signs next to the pools of water but he couldn't read them due to them being in Chinese.   
  
Also in the area of Jusenkyo was a boy who was carrying what looked like an extremely heavy backpack and was sporting a black spotted bandanna.  
  
"Curse you Saotome!" and "You made my life hell!" were the only things coming from this strange boy. Genma sweatdropped and just ignored the strange boy as he moved carefully across the cursed springs until he noticed a shiny object in one of the pools. This caught Genma's eye as he thought it could be quite valuable and he slowly approached the pool of water. Genma tried to retrieve the object in the pool with a bamboo stick but he was having a bit of difficulty as it seemed to be trapped in the mud so he decided to lean over the pool and place his hand into the water. He almost got the object until...   
  
A pair of small petite hands roughly pushed Genma right into the pool with a loud splash. Genma felt himself changing as his senses went wild. After a few moments he surfaced, trying to remember what had happened a few moments ago. He knew that it wasn't an accident as he had felt someone push him and laugh at him. He picked up the object that he was trying to get and saw that it was a worthless piece of metal. It was at that time he scratched himself with his paw.  
  
'PAW!' As Genma looked his hand and then his reflection in the pool what he saw made him faint immediately.   
  
The yellow black spotted bandanna boy had seen what had happened to the bald fat man with glasses and immediately ran away from the cursed spring as soon as possible. As he was in a rush to leave the place, he didn't notice a loose root sticking out and was tripped up. He then fell down the hill toward one of the cursed springs. The last thing the boy said before he hit a nearby pool with a splash was, "Damn you Ranma Saotome!!!"  
  
SPLASH!!!  
  
***  
  
Magnamund Universe 'Aon'  
  
Midnight... At the Campsite  
  
Ranma Stormgard formerly Ranma Saotome sneezed while he was asleep in his tent.  
  
It was midnight and all you could hear was the call of nature as creatures of the dark were coming out of their hiding places and beginning their hunt for food. You could hear in the distance their howling. The fireplace in the camp had gone out an hour ago and all that was left in the campsite were two tents. In one tent was Braxus who was already fast asleep while Ranma in the other tent was having difficulties in sleeping as if someone was nudging him to wake up. After a few more attempts, Ranma had had enough of trying to go to sleep and thought that maybe a short walk will help him. Also he had sensed a feeling that he had felt before when they were on their travels. It was the same as when he first felt that he was being followed when he left the village in Durenor. He could tell it was coming from outside the campsite and decided to investigate.  
  
The air was cool around the campsite as Ranma came out of the tent already dressed, taking his sword with him just in case things got ugly. He walked a few metres outside the campsite and quickly scanned the area in front of him. It was easy for Ranma to see in the dark because of his keen eyesight which he had learnt during his training as he and his father were constantly in the rural countryside and often traveled through the darkness. (Mainly to avoid detection from angry villagers and families created by Genma). This meant it was easier for Ranma to have better night vision than normal people were.   
  
Finally after his scan, he found that no one was out there and came to conclusion that he was just being a bit paranoid. As he was about to go back to his tent to get some sleep, Ranma suddenly felt his senses go wild and then saw something in the corner of his eye. Trusting his instincts, Ranma quickly looked around the surrounding woods until he spotted a glowing mysterious shape coming out of the dense woodland. It was slowly approaching him.   
  
'I better get ready and warn Braxus if this is a threat. Maybe this is the person that was following us,' thought Ranma.  
  
As the glowing shape came closer, he could make out that the shape was humanoid and female. She was wearing a grey hooded cloak. Ranma felt a bit cautious of this mysterious figure that was coming towards him so he reached for his sword and got into defensive stance.  
  
The mysterious person then stopped a few feet in front of him and just stood there, facing him. Ranma couldn't make out the facial features of this mysterious character but he could make out that she had red hair.  
  
"Who are you?" Ranma cautiously asked the cloaked stranger as he gripped his sword just in case she did something that was a threat.  
  
"Well, Ranma, you should be more welcoming and respectful to me... but to answer your first question you may call me... Ranko," answered in a cute voice as she pulled back her hood to reveal herself to Ranma.  
  
'Wild Child. I wonder how she knows my name?' thought Ranma as he could sense that she was no threat yet.  
  
To Ranma's surprise what he saw was young teenage girl who looked a few years younger than he was. She was extremely beautiful with long red hair tied - up in a ponytail. She also had deep blue eyes. Ranma also noticed that this person had huge amounts of Chi and Ki energies radiating from her; he had never met anyone human with that much energy before - only the Goddess that had transported him here.  
  
"How do you know who I am?" asked Ranma.  
  
"I know all about you Ranma Stormgard or should I say Ranma Saotome. Your past history including those awful training trip with your father, the Neko-ken and many other things that I could mention," replied Ranko as she ticked off each one on her fingers to emphasis her point.  
  
"What do want from me?" asked Ranma, as he wanted to know what her intentions were.  
  
'How does she know this about me, the only people that know all about me and my background are the people that have I told,' thought Ranma as he only told about himself to his adopted family and his friend Banedon.  
  
"What I want? ...Hmm, what I want right now is to see you in person and Ranma, please put away your weapon. I'm not a threat and I'm not going to harm you," replied Ranko in a calm voice.  
  
'Besides, I think you're quite cute too,' thought Ranko as she saw Ranma relax a bit from her statement.  
  
"Why?" asked Ranma. As she seems to be harmless for now he released his grip on his sword but still remained in a defensive stance.   
  
"Well Horsey... You have a great destiny in this world as well as your brother and your mage friend," replied Ranko in a cute voice. Ranma groaned inwardly at her nickname.  
  
"What is my destiny? What do my Brother and friend have to do with this?" questioned Ranma, as he wanted to know what he and his brother had to do with this. Ranko simply shrugged and replied.  
  
"Patience Horsey, Time will soon tell."   
  
Then she simply winked at him seductively and this caused Ranma to feel sleepy as he felt his eyelids becoming heavier and eventually fell asleep on the ground.  
  
'Yes, this is the one that will save Sommerlund and all of Magnamund,' thought Ranko as she put on her hood back on and simply vanished into thin air.  
  
***  
  
Morning...  
  
As first light broke through the Sommerlund forest and cleared away the darkness, we see the campsite where Ranma and Braxus were currently asleep in their own makeshift tent. It took quite a while for them to actually wake up and gather their belongings and equipment. Ranma suddenly woke up and found himself in his tent and not outside as he had first believed.  
  
'I wonder, if that dream was real or not?' thought Ranma as he tried to recall that strange dream he had last night while packing away his stuff. Braxus noticed Ranma had a distant expression on his face and decided to inquire about it.  
  
"Hey Ranma... what are you thinking?" asked Braxus.  
  
"What?! ...Err... nothing Braxus, just nothing," replied Ranma as he was brought back to the present.  
  
"Alright Ranma, we'd better leave now," Braxus said, half convinced. He could have bugged Ranma for information but let it drop.  
  
'I know that something is bothering him but I won't press the issue,' thought Braxus.  
  
Once they cleaned up the campsite, they were ready to set off on the final part of their journey towards the Kai Monastery. As Braxus and Ranma made their way through the thick woodlands of Sommerlund, Ranma decided to ask Braxus about something.  
  
"So Braxus, how long till we arrive at the Monastery?" asked Ranma as he noticed they had been walking for quite a while now and they hadn't seen any monasteries.  
  
"Not long Ranma, about a couple of miles that way over that hill," pointed Braxus who was studying the map closely and checking that they were heading the right way.   
  
"You're sure we just heading the right way or are we just lost?" joked Ranma as he recalled how one, Ryoga Hibiki could get lost even in his own home.   
  
'That boy could even get lost in room with a single exit,' thought Ranma as he chuckled to himself.  
  
"Ha Ha, very funny Ranma. No, we are not lost. It's just a few more miles and we should be there before sunset," replied Braxus.  
  
"Okay, you're the leader with the map," Ranma said as he trusted Braxus to make sure that wouldn't get lost.  
  
After a few hours of wandering and walking through the forestlands, both Ranma and Braxus finally saw the goal of their journey. In the clear area of the woodlands stood a proud and beautiful large castle. You could see the checkered battle banner at the highest point of the building. Both Ranma and Braxus instantly recognised the banner, which was the war banner of the Kai Lords of Sommerlund.   
  
"The Kai Monastery," whispered Ranma and Braxus as they doubled their efforts to get there before sunset.  
  
TBC...  
  
*** 


	7. Chapter 5a

Ranma/Lone Wolf Crossover Fanfiction  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma 1/2 or the Lone Wolf Series or any other characters. The rights to Ranma 1/2 belong to Rumiko Takahashi and for the Lone Wolf Series Joe Dever. This story is created solely for entertainment purposes and no profits are gained from this.  
  
Wild Horse of Kai  
  
By Montymouse  
  
' ' - Thought  
" " - Speech  
  
Chapter Five A - Training Day  
  
***  
  
It's been roughly two and a half years since Ranma and Braxus first came to the Kai Monastery to become potential Kai Lords. The training was very tough and rigorous which was the standard requirement for all initiates to begin with. This was done so that only the strong and talented people would be selected and trained in the true ways of the Kai. The Kai monks who over the centuries have mastered all the skills of a warrior taught those who were the most talented. The training that all Kai initiates have to go through in order to become a Kai lord tested both the initiates' fighting prowess and endurance but also their mental side.  
  
The first stage for an initiate to become a Kai Lord was to learn and master the ten basic Kai disciplines. These disciplines tested all areas of a warrior both physically and mentally. Only an initiate that had learnt and mastered these Kai disciplines could become a Kai warrior and be taught the more demanding and advanced disciplines available. Only a selected few had ever reached the highest rank possible of a Kai Grand Master to which Sun Eagle attained: he was the very first Kai Lord and founder of the Kai.   
  
Normally only people from Sommerlund and quite possibly from Durenor were recruited as Kai initiates at the Kai Monastery, so when our two journeymen from Durenor came to the Kai Monastery they were a bit wary and cautious about those two, especially Ranma. Braxus was easily accepted as a Kai initiate but with the case of Ranma, most of the Kai monks were a bit suspicious of him and were quite surprised when he said that he wanted to join them with his brother.   
  
A meeting was held with most of the Kai Lords present to discuss if they should allow this Ranma Stormgard to join them. Some of the Kai lords voted that Ranma's request for application to be trained as a Kai Lord be refused on the basis that he was a foreigner judging from his looks, and only people locally should be accepted. But the more senior and experienced Kai Lords including Storm Hawk and Wise Heart voted that it was time to make some changes in the recruiting methods to allow people from different parts of Magnamund to join and not just from Sommerlund. In the end it was voted that Ranma should be allowed to join their ranks with a little divine persuasion/intervention from Ishir and Ranko.  
  
Wise Heart was the most senior and experienced Kai Grand Master at the Kai Monastery and he had sensed Ranma and Braxus Stormgard's potential as Kai warriors. Also he had received vague visions and messages from Kai during his mediation sessions to allow these two in as they could help the order of the Kai against the forces of Evil. This prompted him to allow the two into the Kai order during the meeting. Additionally, Storm Hawk had agreed to tutor them in his classes if no one else wanted to do so.  
  
So it was on that day that Ranma and Braxus were sworn into the order of the Kai to protect the land of Magnamund and to serve Kai as protectors of the people. The first year of training for both of them went as well as could be expected as Ranma had mastered the physical and more practical aspects of the Kai disciplines which were hunting, weaponskill, sixth sense and camouflage. Also during the tutoring to teach the mental discipline of Mindblast, Ranma found it more difficult to focus his mind to actually use it as weapon but during one session he came up with a idea and started to develop a different kind projection method of attack. Instead of using his mind/willpower, he could use his Ki instead. He had picked up some information about using chi as a potential weapon when he had visited an old temple with his father during his training trip. The only person he told about his secret development was his brother Braxus and he just told him to keep it a secret until he succeed in actually making it work.   
  
The reason why Ranma easily mastered these disciplines was because he was quite adaptable and was quick to learn new methods and techniques so these disciplines were quite natural for him. Back in his former home world, he constantly had to use these skills and it sure came in handy especially the Kai discipline of Camouflage when it came to avoiding trouble and people who made an 'arrangement' with Genma, usually about him. When it came to more mental aspects of the Kai disciplines it took him longer to learn them as they required Ranma to concentrate, but in the end Ranma was determined to master them.   
  
Braxus had also easily mastered the Kai disciplines of hunting, tracking and weaponskill due to his father's training when he was young. Also the discipline of healing came naturally to him as his mother had taught him. Most of the Kai monks were quite surprised at how well they had mastered these disciplines but to master four disciplines in a year was quite an accomplishment for those two. Most of the young initiates and masters accepted him as one of them rather than an outsider; and anyway Ranma was friendly enough so why not make friends with him?  
  
A few people who had disagreed or had doubts about him quickly changed their minds as they saw what Ranma did to one of them who didn't like outsiders joining them when he challenged him to a fight. The result was that he took him out in under a minute and that person was meant to be one of the best fighters of the whole group of young warriors. Those who watched that demonstration were quite impressed with Ranma's fighting skills, especially Storm Hawk and Wise Heart.   
  
There had been a long tradition that the Kai Lords bestow a Kai name upon each young novice after they completed their first year of training at the Kai Monastery. These names were chosen by their tutors who were in a position to judge them and give out appropriate names to them with the aim of reflecting their individual strengths and qualities.  
  
Braxus was named 'Swift Blade' by Storm Hawk to represent his speed and his swordmanship. He had proven to be a difficult opponent to fight against during weapons training. Ranma on the other hand was first given the name of 'Brave Dancer' to represent his skill and agility but Ranma didn't want that name as it didn't suit him at all and persuaded Storm Hawk to let him chose an appropriate name for himself. It was Braxus who mentioned that he should use the name 'Wild Horse' as a Kai name and suggested to his tutor Storm Hawk that it would be more appropriate, and he agreed to allow Ranma to have that name. So it was from then that Braxus would be known as 'Swift Blade' and Ranma as 'Wild Horse' as their Kai names during their training.   
  
***  
  
Early Morning. In the courtyard of the Kai Monastery, there was currently a group of young Kai initiates practicing their weapons training with the bow and arrow. Rune Star was the Kai tutor in this lesson and was currently watching the young initiates on their progress. We also see that Braxus is among the group of initiates. They were about to fire their arrows at targets at the far end of the courtyard.   
  
"Warriors, take up your bows and ready your aim at those targets," called out Rune Star as he pointed to the target that they were supposed to hit.   
  
All the young warriors took up their bows and aimed at the targets as they pulled back their bowstrings and readied their aim.  
  
"Ready... FIRE!" shouted Rune Star as a cloud of twenty arrows were released and sent toward the still targets.   
  
Braxus' aim was true and hit dead on target. Less than half the arrows fired found their mark while the others strayed off course or missed them completely.  
  
'Damn, some of them really need a lot of practice. Hmm... Swift Blade is doing quite well; he rarely misses. So is his brother Wild Horse. I wonder where he is from?' thought Rune Star as he assessed the morning archery test.  
  
"All those who have missed their targets, you need more practice to steady your aim. Remember that it's all about accuracy, not about power. Those who hit the target, well done. I expect this level of performance from you lot." Rune Star ordered those who missed to try again until they actually hit the targets. He also asked Swift Blade aka Braxus to go and fetch some more arrows, as they were a bit short on them.  
  
Braxus was just going to the armory to fetch more arrows for his class when he noticed his brother Wild Horse aka Ranma at the monastery gates, probably coming back from the forest as he was carrying some firewood. He also noticed that he was covered in chalk pieces in his hair and clothing.   
  
"Hi Ranma. I see that you feel asleep in Storm Hawk's class again." Braxus made his way over to where Ranma was.  
  
"Yeah, how did you know?" replied Ranma as he placed the wood down on the ground.  
  
"Yeah it's common knowledge around here that you do well in practical and physical aspects of disciplines but you find it difficult in the mental areas," Braxus said.  
  
"Oh," was Ranma reply.  
  
'Hmm... rumours do spread quite quickly around here,' though Ranma.  
  
"So what did you do now that made you go and collect some firewood?" asked Braxus.  
  
"Well it's like this..." Ranma began to explain what had happened.  
  
***  
  
Earlier that day in Storm Hawk's class  
  
While Braxus was being taught by Rune Star, Ranma was in another part of the monastery being taught by Storm Hawk who was currently teaching another class on the mental side of a being a warrior. There were three Kai disciplines that a Kai warrior should learn before moving on to the next stage of these disciplines; these were mindshield, mindblast and mind over matter. These three were the basic mental disciplines and currently Storm Hawk was teaching his class about the mental discipline of mindshield.  
  
"Now class, many evil creatures especially the Darklords and minions of Naar use psychic attacks against your mind in order to weaken your resolve and combat prowess. Mindshield is the basic form of mental defense that will protect you from minor psychic attacks. Hopefully some of you will master this discipline and later learn the most advanced type of mental defense which is only available to a Kai Lord." As Storm Hawk lectured his students, he quietly scanned the classroom to see how well his students were doing. All of them were taking notes down and were eagerly taking in what he had to say apart from one student in the corner.  
  
'Not again! Why is he the only one that falls asleep in my classes? All the other tutors say that he is one of their top students but not in my class,' thought Storm Hawk.   
  
"Wild Horse wake up will you and pay attention!" shouted Storm Hawk from where he was sitting. Getting no response, he then threw a piece of chalk toward Ranma who was currently asleep again in his tutorial class.   
  
"Ouch!" Ranma said as he rubbed his forehead, noticing that he had white chalk all over him.   
  
'What hit me?' thought a confused Ranma as he looked around the class to see his fellow classmates looking at him and his tutor standing there in front of him with his arms crossed.  
  
"Err... Good Afternoon, Sensei," was the only thing Ranma could say.  
  
'Oh crap, I'm in trouble again,' thought Ranma.  
  
"It's nice to see that you have returned to us Wild Horse. Now please tell me why were you asleep in my class again?" Storm Hawk said as the rest of the class held in their laughter at the display between those two.  
  
"Err... I was bored," Ranma said.  
  
"You were bored. Well, if you are bored, Wild Horse maybe you should go out and do something to keep you awake let's say collect some firewood for tonight. What do you think?" Storm Hawk said.  
  
'What am I going to do with him?' thought Storm Hawk.  
  
"Yes Sensei," Ranma said as he bowed gently and walked out of the class. Storm Hawk then resumed his teaching his class.  
  
***  
  
"So that's what happened." As Ranma finished his explanation to his brother he could see he was laughing at him.  
  
"What is so funny?" asked Ranma.  
  
"Nothing, well it's just quite funny that you are the best student in all other classes apart from Storm Hawks' and you constantly get sent out. You know you should put in more effort in his class," replied Braxus.  
  
"It's not like I do it on purpose. It's just that when I was with my Genma, I was told that the Art was the only thing important, anything else didn't matter that included a normal life and education," Ranma explained.   
  
"Yeah, I agree with that but Ranma, remember that you are in a different world and away from your father. You been given a second chance now so try to live by your rules not your father," replied Braxus.  
  
"I suppose you're right, but I have to go now, see ya later." Ranma picked his firewood and quickly rushed back to his class before his tutor got too annoyed.  
  
"See you later," replied Braxus as he resumed what he was doing.   
  
'I'd better keep an eye out for him, just to keep him out of trouble,' thought Braxus.  
  
***  
  
Watching those two from balcony were two people, both dressed to represent their rank and experience. The person near the balcony had blond hair with white highlights and was the Kai Grand Master, Wise Heart, while the person next to him was one of his closest advisors and fellow Kai Lords.   
  
"I had my doubts about letting this Ranma Stormgard into our order at first. But it seems that Ranma is fitting quite nicely into our organisation," he said as he watched them near the gates.  
  
"I knew that you would change your mind, Rising Eagle," replied Wise Heart.   
  
"It seems that Wild Horse has fallen asleep again in Storm Hawk's class," commented Rising Eagle as he watched the two goes their separate ways.  
  
"Yes, that one seems to get in trouble in his class only. I heard from my fellow Kai Lords that Wild Horse is quite keen and is one of the top students in his generation along with Swift Blade, Dancing Hawk and Shining Star." Wise Heart walked away from the balcony.   
  
"Those four Kai initiates have exceptional talent and potential to be great warriors. I have high hopes for them in the future," Rising Eagle said as he followed Wise Heart back into the room.  
  
"Indeed I expect them to do well. Also what is this problem that I heard with Wild Horse during the teaching of Animal Kinship with Fire Fox?" asked Wise Heart.  
  
"Well, what I heard from Fire Fox was that when Wild Horse was asked to guess the intentions of an animal, he was doing quite well until he came to the last animal was a small feline cat. Then all hell broke loose as Wild Horse went crazy and ran around the room like he was possessed or something. It wasn't until he had knocked himself out that he returned to normal. Fire Fox examined him and it seems that he has a psychological fear of anything feline. The fear seems to be quite deeply rooted," Rising Eagle said sadly.  
  
"Do you know the cause of his fear?" asked Wise Heart in a serious tone.  
  
"Apparently from what Wild Horse said, it was his former father, Genma Saotome, who actually inflicted his fear on him when he was young before he was adopted by Stormgard's family," replied Rising Eagle.   
  
He explained to Wise Heart what Ranma had told him about his fear of felines and how he got it. After he finished his explanation, Wise Heart sat there digesting what Rising Eagle had said.   
  
"Do you know where this Genma Saotome currently is?" asked Wise Heart in a serious and deadly tone.  
  
'If I ever meet this Genma, their will only be one person that will walk away with his head on his shoulders,' thought Wise Heart as he considered Genma was as evil as the Darklords themselves.   
  
"We currently don't know. I tried to asked Wild Horse and Swift Blade if they knew where he was but they said they didn't know," replied Rising Eagle.  
  
'Probably dead; or he better be,' thought Rising Eagle.  
  
***  
  
Genma Saotome started to have a sneezing fit as he felt his danger senses goes into overdrive. He was currently in his cursed form after his fruitless search for his naïve son in China. Genma decided to visit his old friend Soun Tendo because he was scared of what his wife would do to him.  
  
***  
  
"What can we do to ease his fear? If the agents of Naar ever hear about this they may use this against him and we be forced to make him leave the monastery," asked a concerned Wise Heart.   
  
"Yes, there is. Fire Fox said using some mental techniques he could ease his fear to a minimal level so that he wouldn't freak out or be immobilised by his fear for a short while. It'll just mean that his reaction speed and combat skill will be slowed down against feline opponents. It will take some time to slowly erase his fear of cats but he is making progress," replied Rising Eagle.   
  
"Good, it would be such a shame to lose one of our most talented warriors with so much potential because of this condition caused by his father. We will be keeping an eye on him but right now we have other matters to concern ourselves with, especially next year. You know what I mean, don't you Rising Eagle?" answered Wise Heart.  
  
"Ah... yes. The feast of Fehmarn. It's been quite some time since I last saw my fellow Kai brothers, so we had better make the necessary preparations for next spring," replied Rising Eagle.  
  
"It's has been quite awhile hasn't it? This time I heard that all the Kai Lords will be present. Remember the last time we held the festival?" Wise Heart sat down behind his desk and started to sort his paperwork.  
  
"Yeah I remember, only half of us were present and I think it was because of a border dispute between two regions or something," replied Rising Eagle as he tried to recall what had happened last spring.  
  
"Forget about it, it's in the past now. We should be looking forward to the festival and making the necessary preparations," Wise Heart said.  
  
"Right then. I'll better check on progress of our young warriors. May Kai protect you." He saluted Wise Heart in a formal Kai salute and exited Wise Heart's chamber.  
  
"May Ishir be with you too," replied Wise Heart and resumed his work.  
  
***  
  
It was evening at the Kai monastery and a few Kai warriors were stationed on the castle walls on the lookout for anything unusual. Most of the young warriors were in their own quarters either sleeping, relaxing or quietly studying. We see our two Kai warriors Ranma and Braxus currently sharing their quarters with two other warriors, Shining Star and Dancing Hawk.  
  
Shining Star and Dancing Hawk were both from Sommerlund and were sent by their fathers to improve their martial skills and Kai abilities. Shining Star or Gordo Truon was taller than Ranma and had blond hair and brown eyes. The other person, known as Baradas Kelow or by his Kai name Dancing Hawk, had dark brown hair and brown eyes. They were about the same age as Ranma and Braxus. They quickly made good friends as they were in the same boat as them and they could help each other when they needed it.   
  
Tonight, the two Kai warriors were sitting at a table, currently playing a friendly game of cards with Ranma and Braxus or by known as Kai names Wild Horse and Swift Blade.  
  
"So... Dancing Hawk, what brings you here to the monastery?" asked Ranma as he dealt out the cards to his companions.  
  
"Well, my father decided to send me here so I could learn some discipline and manners as I was quite the trouble maker back at my home town Raditch," replied Dancing Hawk as reached for his two cards.   
  
"How about you Shining Star?" asked Ranma as dealt two cards to next person sitting to Dancing Hawk.  
  
"I was sent because I wanted to bring honour to my family and to make a name for myself," Shining Star simply replied.   
  
"Isn't they're another reason why you wanted to join?" asked Braxus as he could see something in Shining Star's eyes that suggested he had another agenda.  
  
"Well there is. You see there's a girl that I really like and I knew her since childhood. She lives opposite my home in Farsell but her father wouldn't allow me to date her," explained Shining Star.  
  
"And you think that by become a Kai Lord would make her father see that you are worthy of dating his daughter," added Ranma as he had worked out Shining Star real intentions.  
  
"Yeah that's about it," replied Shining Star as he started to blush under his confession. The rest of the group started to laugh. Shining Star got annoyed because he thought they were laughing at him.  
  
"Don't take it seriously Shining Star, we not laughing at you. You know we were just joking. We've all been there, haven't we? Well, except Ranma there," explained Braxus to reassure him that they were still friends and to lighten the mood.  
  
"Anyway here is a picture of her. Her name is Eliza Aspen." Shining Star pulled a hand sketch picture of her to show to the three from his tunic.   
  
"She's not bad, not bad at all," Braxus commented as he looked at the picture. The other two nodded in agreement and gave it back to him.  
  
"Thanks, so how about you two, why did you join?" questioned Shining Star as he put away the picture.  
  
"Me and my brother decided to join because a simple and humble life in the village would be fine for most others but not for us," Braxus replied as he quickly glanced at his two cards.  
  
"Ah... you want the active and adventurous life and you think that becoming a Kai warrior will provide you that," Shining Star said.   
  
"Got it in one," answered Ranma as he looked at his cards.  
  
As the four Kai warriors played their friendly game of cards, everyone had won at least one or two rounds of cards except Ranma who had yet win one game.   
  
"Wild Horse, you haven't won one single game yet, you sure that you know how to play this game?" asked Dancing Hawk.  
  
"Of course I do, it's just that I'm have spot of bad luck," answered Ranma.  
  
"You must have the worst luck in all of Magnamund because we played over twenty rounds of cards and you haven't won yet. I bet even a blind man have a better chance at winning than you," added Dancing Hawk.  
  
"I think I know why you are so bad at cards. It because you don't hide your facial expressions and emotions hidden when you try to conceal your intentions," explained Braxus as he glance at his cards.  
  
"What does supposed to mean?" asked a confused Ranma by his brother's statement.  
  
"It means that you don't have poker face," Dancing Hawk said as checked his cards to find that he was out of this round.  
  
"Yeah that's right, it's just that we can all read you like a open book, Wild Horse. It's just that you don't control your facial expression, for example when you have a winning pair, you face lights up and you smile and vice versa. It's a dead give away to all of us." Shining Star showed his hand to indicate that he had won this round and started to deal out a new hand of cards.  
  
"Don't worry Wild Horse, I will teach you all that I know about playing card and how to put up a good poker face as I was known as the Card King in my home village," offered Dancing Hawk as received his pair from Shining Star.  
  
"Thanks Shining Star I appreciate the help," replied Ranma as they continued their card game.  
  
"No problem, now let's finish this game before we turn in for the night," replied Dancing Hawk. The rest nodded in agreement as they had to get up early in the morning for outdoor training.  
  
Soon after, they all went to their bunkbeds to get some sleep because they knew that their tutor Rising Eagle always woke them up at first light to begin their training which usually started off with a 10 mile cross country run and through the Sommerlund Woods. They weren't looking really forward to it but all four of them were determined to be the best.   
  
***  
  
Somewhere in the Universe 'Aon'  
  
The Goddess Ishir noticed Ranko who wasn't dressed in her usual cloaked hood and robe but was dressed a red/yellow sundress which hugged her curves quite nicely and showed off her assets quite well. She was currently watching Ranma during his endurance training and cross-country run with his fellow Kai warriors through a viewing crystal.   
  
'Yummy,' thought Ranko as she saw Ranma's nicely toned body through his sweaty clothes.   
  
"Ranko dear, may I have a word with you?" asked Ishir gently.  
  
"Coming Ishir," Ranko said as she turned off her viewing crystal and walked over to where Ishir was.  
  
"Ranko, I heard that you have been picking on Genma Saotome, Ranma's former father in his home universe. You know that we can't intervene directly or hurt people in other dimensions," explained Ishir.  
  
"I know, but that Genma deserves it the most because of what he had done to poor little Ranma when he was young," replied Ranko as she could sense the pain that Ranma felt when she first scanned Ranma memories.  
  
"I don't really blame you for you actions, but remember we must still uphold the rules that we follow. Do you understand Ranko dear?" Ishir said.  
  
'Oh well, the damage has been done and besides, I could have done worse, much worse and if my fellow Goddess Bast hears about this, Genma is as good as kitty litter,' thought Ishir.   
  
"Yes I do, thank you for your kindness Ishir." She bowed gently to Ishir and was about to walk away until Ishir called her.  
  
"Before you go Ranko, I have another thing to ask you about. You used to have really short red hair and dress like a tomboy the last time I saw you. Now you have long flowing hair tied in a ponytail and your dress sense is quite different from what you used to wear. This new look that you have, does it involved a certain pig tailed martial artist?" teased Ishir as she saw Ranko pause for a moment.   
  
"I'm not listening, I'm not listening," was all she said repeatedly in a sing song voice trying to ignore Ishir's last question as she skipped merrily away from Ishir into nearby portal.  
  
'I knew it! She is interested in this mortal. It's about time she was. I wonder if Ranma knows about her?' thought Ishir.  
  
TBC...  
  
*** 


	8. Chapter 5b

Ranma/Lone Wolf Crossover Fanfiction  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma 1/2 or the Lone Wolf Series or any other characters. The proper owners of Ranma 1/2 belong to Rumiko Takahashi and for the Lone Wolf Series Joe Dever. This story is created solely for entertainment purposes and no profit as gained from this.  
  
Note.  
Kai Names:  
* Ranma Stormgard (Saotome) - Wild Horse  
* Braxus Stormgard - Swift Blade  
Current Age:  
* Ranma - 16yrs old  
* Braxus - 17yrs old  
* Banedon - 16yrs old  
* Ranko - ??? (She looks 16yrs old)  
  
Wild Horse of Kai  
  
By Montymouse  
  
' ' - Thought  
" " - Speech  
  
Chapter Five B - Winter Festival and Encounters  
  
***  
  
Sommerlund  
  
The trees started to lose their leaves and the birds were heading south, indicating that winter was coming to settle in Sommerlund. Recently the Kai Lords had decided to allow the young Kai warriors to return back to their hometowns so they could be with their friends and family for winter. The only condition that they gave was that they should all be back for the first growth of Sommerlund (spring). The reason why the Kai Lords allowed this was that they knew that a Kai warrior would reach their highest potential and would defend the land they had vowed to protect with their lives if they know the actual reason. It wasn't the Kings or Lords of Sommerlund, but the Sommlending people themselves who relied on the protection of Kai Lords from invaders and the forces of Evil.  
  
The entire group of young Kai warriors had begun to leave the Kai monastery to return to their hometowns. Shining Star and Dancing Hawk had left the monastery two days ago, while Wild Horse and Swift Blade (aka Ranma and Braxus) had already left in advance because they had the furthest way to go to return home to Durenor. Along the way they managed to pick up Banedon in Toran who had been allowed by his Guildmaster to go with them as they traveled to Anskavern to pick up the nearest boat to Port Bax.  
  
The trio rode on horseback, travelling eastwards towards Anskavern. Along the way Ranma reminded Braxus of the promise he had made to Aunt Saria that if they were in town they would visit her. Judging by the sun and the distance they had already traveled, they should arrive in Anskavern by nightfall.  
  
***  
  
Afternoon in Anskavern  
  
The trio finally arrived in the port of Anskavern a little earlier than expected, as Braxus knew of a shortcut that he finally remembered from his father's teaching. Ranma, Braxus and Banedon were walking down the stone-paved streets of Anskavern trying to find 'The Wayfarer Inn'. Ranma and Braxus were as usual dressed in the normal green tunic and grey Kai cloak, indicating they both held the rank of Warmarn or Journeyman. Their Kai title symbolized their achievements and training at the Kai monastery - it was a respected rank for young warriors of the Kai. Ranma had his silver bow slung over his shoulder while concealing his sword underneath his cloak. Braxus had his shortsword sheathed in its protective scabbard concealed underneath his cloak. They were all trained to hide their weapons and only unsheathe them when necessary. Banedon was walking just behind Ranma and Braxus, wearing his usual magician's attire, but it was hidden under a dark, regal blue cloak.  
  
Everyone in Anskavern instantly recognised the clothes that the trio was wearing as they walked through the streets still trying to find the inn. Everyone that saw the trio knew they represented the élite order of the Kai and the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star. Both organisations were well known and respected in all of Sommerlund.  
  
Their skill in the Kai Discipline of Tracking was only good when they were in rural areas and in the countryside. They hadn't reached the level where they could successfully navigate through cities yet, but they were getting there.  
  
"Now, Braxus, you do still remember the way to her inn from the last time we were here, don't you?" Ranma asked.  
  
"Of course I do! Hey, it's not my fault there are more than forty inns in this port and... well, they all look alike, apart from the signs they hang out," Braxus replied back.  
  
"Good, so where is it?"  
  
'We're lost again,' Ranma thought.  
  
"What are you two arguing about?" asked Banedon. He had been watching those two arguing again ever since they had first arrived in Anskavern.  
  
Ranma turned around to face Banedon to answer his inquiry.  
  
"Oh, it's nothing, Banedon. Just that the last time we were here we got lost for ages because of him," replied Ranma as he pointed to Braxus who was still trying to figure out where the inn was.  
  
"We're not lost!" Braxus hastily shouted.  
  
"You see," Ranma said.  
  
"Is that it? Why didn't you tell in the first place rather than wasting our time searching the whole town for this inn? I know a better a way of tracking certain places and objects," Banedon said.  
  
"Oh, what is that, may I ask?" asked Braxus. He had given up on finding the inn and wondered if Banedon might come up with a solution.  
  
Banedon walked up to Braxus and placed his hand on his shoulder. Braxus was a bit confused by Banedon's actions until he explained what he was going to do.  
  
"Now, Braxus, listen to me carefully. Concentrate and think of a image of Saria's inn."  
  
Braxus did what Banedon was telling him and closed his eyes and started to picture the inn. As Braxus was concentrating hard on an image, Banedon started to chant a spell and a small light started to form in his hand. Once he had finished the spell, the small ball of light started to float in mid air.  
  
"Now, Ranma, Braxus, we shall follow that pathfinder," Banedon said as his pointed to the ball of light that was floating in front of them.  
  
"Huh!" Ranma and Braxus said at the same time. Banedon just placed his hand on his face and sighed.  
  
"That ball of light is a magical pathfinder that I learnt; it will guide you towards Saria's inn," Banedon explained.  
  
'For a couple of Kai Warriors, they still have a lot to learn about the art of magic,' thought Banedon.  
  
Following the ball of light that Banedon created, they managed to find the inn in record time. Although some of the people in Anskavern were giving odd looks and glances at seeing three people chasing after a ball of light, when they saw Banedon and recognised that he was part of the magician's order, they assumed that it was probably a test or something.  
  
The trio standing outside the Wayfarer and went in as it was getting dark. The inn was exactly as Ranma and Braxus remembered it to be the first time they had arrived in Anskavern. Looking around the inn, it wasn't particularly busy right now, as most of her customers had gone south to escape the coming winter season.  
  
'Where is she?' thought Braxus as he looked around.  
  
Ranma and Banedon were sitting next to the bar trying to get something to drink as they were a bit thirsty.  
  
Braxus was about to join them at the bar when he spotted the person he was looking for out of the corner of his eye. Aunt Saria had just stepped out of the kitchen and was walking towards the reception area. She was dressed in a modest black and white dress with her blonde hair tied up in a bun. She hadn't noticed the trio standing at the reception area as she was busy handling a customer's orders as one of her waitresses had messed up on their order and they were complaining.  
  
"Hey, Aunt Saria," Ranma called to her. She turned around and was quite surprised at seeing her favorite nephews sitting next to the bar.  
  
She was busy at the moment, so she signaled them to wait and she would be right over in minute or so. After she had dealt with the customer, she walked over to the trio with open arms and a huge smile on her face, greeting them. She gave both Ranma and Braxus a vice-like hug, which Banedon thought, was funny but sweet.  
  
"Ranma, Braxus, it's so good to see you again! And what brings you here to my inn, and who is this nice wizard friend?" asked Saria.  
  
"Greetings, Miss Ryder. My name is Banedon, apprentice of the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star." He introduced himself politely to her as he bowed down gently.  
  
"Nice to meet you, Banedon. Please, there's no need to be formal, just call me Saria," Saria said.  
  
"Of course, Saria," Banedon replied.  
  
"Aunt Saria, we were wondering if you would like come with us, if you are not too busy?" asked Ranma. He thought it would be a nice surprise for Oriah to see her sister again.  
  
"Hmm... I'm not really sure if I could leave the inn," Saria replied.  
  
"Please, Auntie, it will be such a nice surprise for my mother to see you again," Braxus said to persuade Saria to come with them to Durenor.  
  
"Why not? I've been here too long; besides, I deserve a holiday and business is slow right now. But I can't leave the inn by itself," Saria said, still unsure what to do. Then she came up with an idea.  
  
"Hey Nats, can you come over here?" Saria called out to one her most senior staff.  
  
"What is it, Saria?" Natalie walked over to where Saria was calling her.  
  
"Nats, you've been here since we first started business and you are the most experienced of all my staff. What do think about me letting you run the business while I go with my nephews to see my sister?" asked Saria.  
  
Natalie started to think about her proposal, and after a few a minutes of thinking Natalie gave her answer.  
  
"Of course, Saria, I will gladly look after the inn! And besides, you deserve a holiday more than any of us," Natalie said.  
  
Saria smiled and nodded.  
  
"Then it's decided." Saria turned around to face Ranma and Braxus.  
  
"Ranma, Braxus, I will be happy to come with you to Durenor. Just give me a few days to get prepared for the trip, okay."  
  
"Of course, Auntie," Ranma happily replied while Braxus nodded in agreement.  
  
"Come, please sit down as I ordered some food for all of us." Saria gestured to a table and the trio happily complied as they had been on the road for quite some time. Besides, it would be good to eat some warm and wholesome food rather than relying on dried rations and salted meat.  
  
The next day Auntie Saria was very busy as she arranged both the transportation and supplies to get them to Durenor. At first Ranma and Braxus said they would arrange it, but Saria wouldn't take no for an answer. So the trio spent the day going shopping around Anskavern, thinking it would be a good idea to get some gift for the annual Winter Festival. Every winter the villagers held a festival to celebrate their hard work and the New Year that was coming. Ranma and Braxus had missed the last two festivals due to their Kai training. The trio stayed at Saria's inn for a couple more days until she was ready and told them the news that the next boat due for Durenor would come tomorrow.  
  
***  
  
Next day in Anskavern  
  
In the docks of Anskavern a large ship was preparing to sail to Port Bax in Durenor. Beside the ship was a small group of people who had started to wave their goodbyes to the people onboard.  
  
"Now Nats you do have all the keys don't you?" shouted Saria to Natalie who was waving her goodbye.  
  
"Saria, stop worrying why don't ya? Everything is going to be the same when you come back!" Natalie replied back as Saria had been nagging her all day long.  
  
"Alright then, but I expect the place to be clean and the same when I come back. Goodbye." Saria waved. Natalie and the rest of the staff waved their manager goodbye as the ship started to set sail for Durenor.  
  
The ship had sailed halfway across the Gulf of Durenor towards Port Bax and so far nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Banedon and Braxus were on deck while Ranma was sitting near the bow of the ship as it sailed through the Kaltersee.  
  
Over the last few days Saria had already started to take things into her own hands onboard the ship and she was practically ordering the captain on what should be done. Saria was active woman, as she couldn't stand around doing nothing, so she ordered the crew to start cleaning up the ship and other duties. The crew was scared of her when she got annoyed, and even Ranma thought that she was scary because of her aura that she sometimes had when she got angry.  
  
Watching her every movement were Banedon and Braxus.  
  
"Is she always like that?" whispered Banedon to Braxus.  
  
Braxus gently nodded to Banedon's inquiry. They had both started to take pity on the poor captain who was being bossed about by Saria.  
  
"Yep. She's a very nice lady to know overall, but she has a tendency to do things if she is bored. Still I can't believe how much baggage that woman bought with her. She even made me and Ranma carry it all!" Braxus said as he thought about the how heavy the bags and cases were that Aunt Saria wanted to carry with her to Durenor.  
  
"Stop complaining will you? at least Aunt Saria is coming with you."  
  
"Yeah, you're right, Banedon. Hey, what is Ranma doing over there?" Braxus pointed to Ranma who was sitting watching the open sea.  
  
"Don't know. He's been there ever since we left Anskavern," Banedon replied.  
  
"Should we bother him?" suggested Braxus.  
  
"Just leave him be. If he wants to talk, he will do so in his own time."  
  
"Okay. Hey, Banedon, why don't you tell me what happened with one of your colleagues when he tried to cast a simple illusion spell?" Braxus said to change the subject.  
  
"Oh yes, I remember now. It wasn't funny, you know?" Banedon said as he tried to restrain himself from laughing out loud.  
  
"Come on, Banedon, you've got to admit it was funny the first time it happened. Did you manage to reverse the spell?"  
  
"Eventually, but the poor boy got stuck in that form for three days as the Guildmasters had never encountered such as problem and it took them a while to come up with a counter spell," Banedon said as he started to lose his composure.  
  
"I can't remember what he turned into. How did this happen?" asked Braxus as he started to laugh quite loud.  
  
"The poor boy did what we would call in magic terms an Oopsie. This usually happen when the spellcaster isn't concentrating enough or gets distracted. When the boy was casting the illusion spell, he was particularly distracted by nice girl that caught his eye and he messed up in his spell chanting. The Guildmaster was about to reprimand him to start concentrating when there was loud bang and a puff of smoke."  
  
"Then what happened?"  
  
"We had thought that he'd disappeared, but once the smoke cleared he was still there. He seemed perfectly normal until we noticed on closer examination that his hair was longer and some other things were there that aren't supposed to be there on a male person. Then it suddenly dawned on us that the boy had changed sex." Banedon joined Braxus in a laughing fit.  
  
Everyone onboard the ship heard the laugher coming from Braxus and Banedon, but they were wondering what was so funny. Ranma's keen hearing had heard the entire conversation between Banedon and Braxus.  
  
'Better him than me!' Ranma thought as he shuddered violently at the thought of turning into a girl.  
  
***  
  
Somewhere in another Dimension e.g. Rumiko Takahashi universe  
  
A certain naïve, arrogant, gender changing, pigtailed marital artist sneezed for no apparent reason while he flew through the air courteously of Akane Airlines.  
  
"Uncute Tomboy," he muttered to himself.  
  
***  
  
Ranma was sitting near the bow of the ship watching the sunset on the horizon. He had been there since they had left Anskavern, and everyone onboard decided that it would best to leave him alone for a bit. He was currently thinking how good it would be to return to the place he had called home since he first arrive in Magnamund. He was feeling a little homesick, but that would soon change, as he would be seeing how his mother and father were doing and catch up on what had been happening during his absence. Then Ranma started to think about that night in the Sommerlund forest where he had met the mysterious, magical girl, Ranko.  
  
Someone handing him a cup of hot chocolate soon interrupted Ranma's train of thought. Looking to see whom it was, Ranma looked straight into her emerald-colored eyes. Ranma smiled at the person who had given him the cup; it was Auntie Saria.  
  
"Hello, Ranma. What are you thinking?" asked Saria as she sat beside Ranma.  
  
"Nothing much." Ranma looked back at the ocean.  
  
"Really? You looked like you had something serious on your mind," Saria said as she tried to get more out of Ranma.  
  
"It's nothing, really."  
  
"Alright then, but you know if you've got anything on your mind, don't hesitate to ask me, okay? I'm always here you know." Saria got up and headed to the ship's galley.  
  
"Okay, Auntie Saria, I'll keep that in mind." Ranma smiled.  
  
"Don't stay out too late as it gets really cold at night." Ranma nodded to acknowledge Saria's advice.  
  
'It's probably a girl,' Saria thought as she went below decks.  
  
It took them a couple more days to finally arrive in Port Bax. The actual sea journey was a peaceful one, nothing out the ordinary happening to Ranma or his travelling companions. They had decided to hire a wagon to carry Saria's baggage. Saria and Braxus rode on the wagon while Ranma and Banedon rode beside them on their hired horses. It would take a day or so to arrive at the village and they would be just in time for the Winter Festival.  
  
***  
  
Somewhere in Universe 'Aon'  
  
A certain red-haired girl was working on something on a table, obscuring anyone's view of what it was.  
  
'Perfect,' thought Ranko.  
  
It was at that moment that the Goddess Ishir materialized in the immediate area where Ranko was.  
  
"Hello, Ranko. What are you doing, may I ask?" Ishir simply asked.  
  
She was a bit curious about Ranko's recent activities. Ishir's sudden announcement caught Ranko by surprise.  
  
"Err... Nothing, Ishir! Really, it's nothing," Ranko said as she tried to hide the thing that she had been working on behind her back, out of Ishir's sight.  
  
Ishir leaned over to one side to see if she could get a better look behind Ranko.  
  
"Alright, Ranko, I'll believe you," Ishir said to drop the matter.  
  
"Ishir, what are you doing here?" asked Ranko while still hiding the item behind her.  
  
"Huh? Oh yes, now I remember. Your goddess friends were asked me where you were."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"I think their names were Skuld and Tsunami (or was it Sasami?). Never mind, they were wondering if you would go with them on a outing like old times," Ishir said, finally remembering their names.  
  
'Oh yes, I remember them now,' thought Ranko. She had been so preoccupied that she had forgotten about her two fellow goddesses.  
  
"Thank you, Ishir. I will contact them as soon as possible," Ranko said. Ishir nodded gently and walked out of the room. Making sure that she was gone, Ranko then checked the item to see if was damaged or not.  
  
'Good, now I wonder were he is now?' thought Ranko as she vanished into thin air.  
  
***  
  
It was midmorning in the village in Durenor. A woman moved between houses as she continued her healer duties. It was that time of the year where people would start to go down with the flu or the common cold due to the climate change. She has been getting quite lot of cases, and she was the only qualified healer in the village. She was dressed in white and her long brown hair was tied up like a ponytail. She was, of course, Oriah Stormgard,  
  
She was walking back to her home after dealing with a couple of cases of flu when she noticed a group of children running past her, cheering and shouting something about strangers coming to the village. Oriah was a bit curious of what the children were yelling about so she decided to investigate. Looking down the path, she could just make out two horses and riders escorting a horse-drawn wagon as they entered the village gates.  
  
'I wonder who they are?' Oriah thought as one of riders approached her.  
  
As the rider came nearer, she instantly recognised the uniform of a Kai journeyman but couldn't make out the face as his hood and cloak concealed it. Normally, anyone who had never visited Sommerlund wouldn't recognise the uniform as a member of the Order of the Kai, and most people wouldn't think twice about this journeyman, but due to Oriah's worldly experience she knew whom they represented. She was wondering why they were here as members of the Kai rarely visited the village unless they were on a mission.  
  
The rider stopped in front of her.  
  
"Greetings, Kai warrior, what brings you to our humble village?" greeted Oriah respectfully.  
  
"Hello, Oriah Stormgard," the cloaked journeyman said, which surprised her as she hadn't expected this Kai warrior to know her name.  
  
The warrior then got off his horse and walked over to her.  
  
"How did you know my name, as I don't recall giving mine, Kai warrior?" asked Oriah.  
  
She saw the stranger pull back his hood to reveal who he was. Oriah immediately recognised the face and the pigtail.  
  
"Hello mother." Ranma smiled brightly.  
  
"Ra... Ranma is that you?" asked Oriah, not believing her eyes.  
  
"Yes, it's me, mother."  
  
In the blink of an eye, Oriah had dropped her basket and quickly rushed up to Ranma, giving him one of those hugs that only a mother can give to her son. The bone-crushing hug that Oriah gave him would have cracked a rib if it wasn't for his training and preparation at the Kai monastery.  
  
'She's even stronger than her sister,' Ranma thought as he was trying to breathe.  
  
"Ranma, my son, it's good to see you again. Where is your brother Braxus?" asked Oriah as she finally released her grip on him.  
  
"Braxus is here and so is Banedon," Ranma answered.  
  
Banedon had spotted them and got off his horse before walking over to Ranma and Oriah.  
  
"Hello Mrs Stormgard," Banedon greeted Ranma's mother.  
  
"Hello Banedon, it's nice to see you again. How is your training in Toran going?" Oriah said.  
  
"Very well, thanks for asking. Oriah, may I ask you something personal?"  
  
"Of course, what is it?"  
  
"Are you pregnant by any chance?" Banedon's magical senses were detecting another source of life growing within her. His suspicions were confirmed as he noticed that Oriah had gained a bit of weight, but it wasn't because she was fat.  
  
"What! Mother is this true?" Ranma asked, surprised at Banedon's question.  
  
"Yes Ranma, Banedon, I'm four months pregnant now and I'm looking forward to having more children," Oriah said proudly. Ranma gave his mother a gentle hug while Banedon congratulated her on her pregnancy.  
  
"Hey, Braxus, I've got some good news." Ranma ran up to Braxus, who was helping Saria get off the wagon.  
  
"What is it, Ranma?" Braxus asked.  
  
Ranma gave the good new to Braxus. "Our mother is pregnant." His reaction? He fainted and Ranma caught him from falling face-first on the ground.  
  
"He took that well." Banedon commented as Ranma carried him over to nearby tree to let him recover.  
  
Oriah walked up to Banedon to ask him why her son had just fainted. Banedon just said that he had fainted because Ranma had told him that his mother was pregnant.  
  
'Is that it?' Oriah thought as she watched Ranma try to wake up Braxus.  
  
"Oriah, is that you?" a voice called out from behind her.  
  
'I'd know that voice anywhere!' Oriah thought. She turned round to see Saria standing there. She gasped in surprise as she couldn't believe whom she was seeing in front of her.  
  
"Saria, is that you?" Oriah asked hesitantly as she moved slowly towards her.  
  
"Of course it's me, Sis!" Saria said as she greeted her sister with open arms.  
  
The two sisters hugged each other, reunited at last. It was such a heart-warming scene. After that, the two sisters started to walk back to the Stormgard home, catching up on what had happened while they were apart and gossip that was way overdue. Of course, Ranma and Braxus had to carry Auntie Saria's things while Banedon just followed them.  
  
During the next few days everyone in the village learned that the Kai warriors were the Stormgard brothers, Ranma and Braxus. They also found out that Saria and Banedon had both arrived in time, so there were good reasons to start preparing for their annual Winter Festival. Oriah was understandably very happy to see her sons and her sister as she had missed them quite dearly during their Kai training and time in Sommerlund. When Jerek returned to the village and found that his sons were back, the first things he did was to challenge them both to a sparring match. Of course, both Ranma and Braxus won, but it wasn't easy as Jerek was a seasoned, experienced fighter.  
  
Everyone in village helped out with the preparations for the festival. Saria was helping Oriah with the catering and insisted that she would do all the preparations when she found out that Oriah was pregnant. Oriah managed to persuade Saria to allow her to help out just a little, but nothing too straining.   
  
Jerek, Braxus and Ranma were helping sort out the bonfire that would be the main centerpiece of the festival, keeping the villagers warm as they celebrated. Banedon was sorting out the night's entertainment with his magic and some fireworks. The entire village had no doubt in their minds that this festival would be the best ever.  
  
***  
  
Afternoon  
  
The village was preparing for the Winter Festival and everyone was helping out. The festival would last all night long and everyone would celebrate. It would be started off with the lighting of the bonfire, which Ranma had the honour of doing. Banedon and Braxus were standing near the bonfire in the village square, wearing warm clothing as the winter was beginning to settle in Durenor.  
  
"How are things doing?" asked Braxus on Banedon's preparations.  
  
"Fine thanks. The fireworks display will be a sight for sore eyes."  
  
"That's good to hear. By any chance you seen Ranma about?" asked Braxus as both Saria and his mother had told him that the festival was shortly about to begin. They wanted everyone to be present, and Oriah refused to allow it to be started until everyone was there, including Ranma.  
  
"Hmm... The last time I saw Ranma he was walking towards the village entrance, probably going out for a walk. He said he wanted to clear his head or something, you know how busy we were preparing this festival," Banedon replied.  
  
"Yeah, I know, but still I have to find him. Thanks anyway. See ya later." Braxus waved to Banedon and set off to find Ranma.  
  
"See you in the afternoon," shouted Banedon as he went off to make the final adjustments.  
  
***  
  
Outside the Village  
  
It was a full moon as the village waited for the Winter Festival to start. Ranma Stormgard was walking by himself, quietly thinking about things such as how his life was, and how good it was to see his mother and father. Ranma was dressed in layers of clothing to keep warm as he walked through the snow.  
  
As he was walking, he started to feel as though someone was watching him again, just like the time when he and his brother were camping in the Sommerlund forest. This bought back memories of that red-haired girl that he had met briefly; he did wonder if that encounter was real or not.  
  
Ranma heard the sound of a snapped twig which immediately brought him out of what he was thinking and he turned around immediately, expecting it to be something or someone - but found nothing except for the leafless trees and snow.  
  
'I must be getting paranoid. I wonder how long I've been out here? I better hurry back; they're expecting me to start the bonfire,' Ranma thought as he noticed that he had been walking for quite some time outside the village.  
  
He was about to head back to the village when someone tapped on his shoulder.  
  
This took Ranma by surprised and his Marital and Kai instincts took over. He immediately turned around in a defensive stance, expecting it to be ambushed by a bunch of thugs. What he faced wasn't what he had expected as he came face to face with someone, almost touching.  
  
"Now, now, there is no need for you to get all jumpy all of a sudden, Horsey!" the girl said as she smiled brightly.  
  
Ranma jumped back a little.  
  
"It's you. The girl I met in Sommerlund forest, Ranko," Ranma asked.  
  
He relaxed a bit as he dropped his defensive stance into a more causal position. Ranma hadn't really expected anyone to sneak up behind him, not even his own brother, as he was so sure that his senses would have told him.  
  
"Yes it's me. At least you remember me, Horsey," Ranko replied in cute voice.  
  
It was at that moment that Ranma noticed what Ranko was currently wearing. It was a nice red and orange dress with yellow ribbons that covered her up from her neck to her feet rather than the grey cloak and hood that she wore the first time they met. What made the whole picture look out of place was the clothing that she was wearing was really inappropriate for the season as it was cold and snowing. She didn't really seem affected by the environment or the weather, as she was neither uncomfortable nor freezing.  
  
Judging from his advanced Kai senses, he could tell that she had huge amounts of power radiating from her. He decided to ask her what she wanted and what her intentions were.  
  
"What are you doing here?"  
  
"To see you of course, Horsey."  
  
"Oh. Well it's nice to see you too, Ranko," Ranma said in polite voice.  
  
"Thank you. You're so sweet! Here, I have something for you." Ranko mysteriously pulled out a black box from nowhere that she had been working on earlier and gave it to Ranma.  
  
"What is it?" Ranma shook the box lightly to see if he could find any clues.  
  
"Open it."  
  
Ranma did what Ranko said and opened the black box to reveal...  
  
A beautifully made black Chinese silk shirt with a picture of a horse embroidered in golden thread on the left side of the shirt. The material was the highest quality of silk and Ranma was left speechless by the gift that Ranko had given him.  
  
"It's beautiful, Ranko; but I don't have anything to give you," Ranma said, feeling a bit guilty for not giving her a gift in return.  
  
"Don't worry about it."  
  
"Wait, I may have something." Ranma searched in his pockets for something to give to her.  
  
Searching thought his pockets he hoped that he had something nice to give to her. After a minute of frantically searching for something, at last he found it and gave it to her, hoping that she wouldn't be disappointed.  
  
'Oh no, she doesn't like it,' Ranma thought as he saw her facial expression as she stared at the gift that he had given her.  
  
"Err... I'm sorry, Ranko, for not giving you a better gift, but I promise I will..." Ranma was trying to make up an excuse.  
  
"I love it!" Ranko suddenly jumped into Ranma arms and hugged him tightly.  
  
"I will give you a better gift the next time and... What?! You like it?" Ranma asked nervously, as he didn't have much experience with handling the opposite gender, especially this beautiful red-haired girl hugging him.  
  
"Of course I do! I've never received a gift from anyone before." Ranko tightened the grip on Ranma and he turned beet red as he felt her pressing against him despite his layers clothing.  
  
'Well, apart from Ishir and some other goddesses; but never from a mortal before,' though Ranko.  
  
The gift that Ranma gave to her was a simple, white bracelet with two doves facing each other. He had bought the gift in Anskavern and thought it would be a nice gift to give to his mother and, because it was a two-for-one offer, he bought them both, and had been wondering what to do with it until now.  
  
Ranko eventually released her hold on Ranma and started to walk beside him as they headed towards the village. Both Ranko and Ranma were silent for moment until Ranma decided to ask about something.  
  
"Ranko, where did you get the shirt from?" asked Ranma as Ranko looked up from the bracelet on her left wrist.  
  
"That's for me to know and you to find out!" Ranko said. As the two were walking, Ranma noticed that Ranko didn't seem to be freezing considering what she was wearing.  
  
"Hey Ranko aren't you cold?"  
  
"A little bit."  
  
'I'm not really cold as my powers are keeping me warm," Ranko thought as Ranma, trying to act like a gentleman, gave her the coat that he was wearing.  
  
"Thank you, but Ranma, won't you be cold also?"  
  
"Not really." Ranma was using his aura to keep him warm as they kept walking.  
  
Ranko then stopped abruptly, which almost made Ranma fall face-first into the snow, but due to his martial arts and Kai training he maintained his balance.  
  
"Hey Ranko, why did stop?" asked a confused Ranma, who was made even more confused as she was pointing up. Looking up he could see some sort green plant hanging in mid air.  
  
"Ranma, it's called a mistletoe and there's quite a nice custom that is performed in your world," Ranko said as she saw the confused looked on Ranma's face.  
  
'Obviously he hasn't clue what I am on about! Oh well, I better teach him; and besides, I'll enjoy the experience too,' thought Ranko.  
  
"Err... Ranko what are you on about and..."  
  
Then, suddenly, Ranko pulled Ranma's face down to her level and kissed him right on the lips. Ranma's eyes widened with surprise at her sudden actions.  
  
'What is she doing? Hey this is starting to be enjoyable,' Ranma thought as the kiss lasted a second or so.  
  
After the kiss, Ranko was smiling brightly while Ranma just smirked.  
  
"Now, Ranma, when two people are under a mistletoe, it is custom that they share a kiss. Did you enjoy it?" Ranko asked.  
  
Ranma was about to reply when he heard someone calling out to his name from behind.  
  
"Hey Ranma!"  
  
Ranma turned around to see his brother Braxus running up to him.  
  
"Ranma, there you are! What are you doing out here?" Braxus said as he finally found him while trying to catch his breath having spent the last ten minutes searching for him.  
  
Normally Braxus could find anyone in a matter of minutes due to his Kai discipline of Tracking, but couldn't find a set of footprints or signs that would indicate that Ranma was here or would lead him to where he was. It was as if someone had been preventing him from finding Ranma until now.  
  
"Braxus, I'd like to you meet..." Ranma turned around and was about to introduce Ranko to his brother; but Ranko wasn't there, almost as if she had mysteriously vanished into thin air.  
  
"Ranma, who are you actually talking to?" asked Braxus, as all he could see here was Ranma in the middle of path and nothing else.  
  
'She's gone again. I do hope I see her again,' thought Ranma. He was about to turn around to answer Braxus' question when he noticed the box she had given him.  
  
"Ranma what is that?" Braxus pointed to the box as Ranma bent down to pick up Ranko gift.  
  
"Oh this? Just something a close friend gave me," Ranma said. Braxus nodded.  
  
"Well, come on, Ranma, Mother told me to get you and the winter village festival is about to start," Braxus said as he started to walk ahead of him, not wanting to miss out on the fun.  
  
"Sure, Bro," Ranma said as he gave one last glance behind as he caught up with Braxus.  
  
"Until the next time," whispered Ranma to no one in particular as both he and Braxus quickened their pace back to the village.  
  
"Until the next time, Horsey," Ranko whispered as she watched them go. She was perched on top of a tree far from where Ranma and Braxus were. Once they were out of sight she simply vanished.  
  
Ranma and Braxus finally arrived at the village just in time to see everyone ready to start the annual festival in the square. Everyone in the village was present; all wanted to be part of the festival. The bonfire that was in the middle of the square was lit to keep everyone warm as the music started to play.  
  
Banedon had eventually been persuaded by Oriah and some mothers to entertain the children for a while with his magic while they prepared for the festival. Banedon accepted as it was a special occasion and started to cast simple light and fire spells which always kept their attention, keeping them from wandering off. Everyone in the village was having a good time with the food, dancing and music available. The festival lasted all night long, and while everything outside the village was cold and harsh, inside the village there was a sense of warmth and peacefulness as everyone was content and happy.  
  
Soon it would be time for Ranma, Braxus and Banedon to make the return trip back to Sommerlund to continue their training. Saria had decided to stay in the village and help her sister with her duties until she had the baby. Besides, it would be a good chance to get to know her sister all over again and, knowing Oriah, she would probably be trying to be the matchmaker with some handsome bachelor that she knew as Saria was still a single maiden.  
  
End of Sidestory One.  
  
*** 


	9. Chapter 6

Ranma/Lone Wolf Crossover Fanfiction  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma 1/2 or the Lone Wolf Series or any other characters. The rights to Ranma 1/2 belong to Rumiko Takahashi and for the Lone Wolf Series Joe Dever. This story is created solely for entertainment purposes and no profit as gained from this.   
  
Note.  
Kai Names:  
* Ranma Stormgard (Saotome) - Wild Horse  
* Braxus Stormgard - Swift Blade  
Current Age:  
* Ranma - 16yrs old  
* Braxus - 17yrs old  
* Banedon - 16yrs old  
* Ranko - ???  
  
Wild Horse of Kai  
  
By Montymouse  
  
' ' - Thought  
" " - Speech  
  
Chapter Six - Death and Betrayal  
  
***  
  
Spring in Sommerlund  
  
As winter finally subsided, new growth was starting to flourish in Sommerlund, indicating that the spring had finally arrived. The first day of spring is known as Fehmarn to the people of Sommerlund as they consider this day as a holy day. On this day the Sommlending reaffirm their oath of allegiance to King Ulnar V who was the current king of Sommerlund. At the Kai monastery, preparations for a special festival were being organised, as all the Lords of the Kai would arrive as expected for this special occasion. It was a rare occasion to see so many Lords in one place at any time.   
  
Today, the Lords of the Kai celebrate the Feast of Fehmarn.  
  
Wise Heart and Rising Eagle, the most senior Lords in the monastery, were they're to greet the Lords as they arrived for this special day. Most of the young Kai warriors were really excited to see so many Kai Grand Masters while they attended the monastery and they were greatly honored by their presence. Some of them were considered legends as the tutors told their tales of heroism about their exploits and their adventures in history lessons.   
  
Earlier ago before the Kai Lords started to arrive, Storm Hawk had ordered all the Kai Initiates to start cleaning up the monastery from the stables to the armoury as everything had to be perfect and arranged appropriately to the highest standard. Shining Star and Dancing Hawk were chosen as representatives of their current Kai group while Swift Blade was patrolling the monastery wall on the lookout. Ranma aka Wild Horse was of course outside the monastery collecting firewood again as he had managed to annoy Storm Hawk enough in his classes.  
  
***  
  
Somewhere in the Sommerlund forest, there was a lone individual trending carefully through the woods and undergrowth. The individual was wearing a grey cloak that hid his uniform underneath. Also, he was currently sporting a pigtail. This was of course Ranma Stormgard aka Wild Horse.  
  
"He had to send me out collecting wood today didn't he. Today is one of the most important dates in the Kai year and he sent me out," Ranma muttered to himself as he collected the dry wood from forest floor.  
  
Ten minutes later after collecting enough wood, Ranma started to return back to the Kai monastery hoping that he hadn't missed too much of the feast and that he would still be able to participate. Suddenly the whole area of the forest went completely dark.  
  
'Huh, it's shouldn't be dark right now, maybe it's an eclipse,' Ranma first thought as he looked up.  
  
What Ranma saw made his jaw drop in horror. It wasn't an eclipse as he had at first thought but a huge flock of black creatures flying overhead. The flock was heading straight for the Kai monastery. Seeing the danger, Ranma immediately dropped the bundle of wood that he was carrying and headed straight for the monastery to warn his Kai brothers.   
  
'I must warn them of the danger,' Ranma thought as ran as fast as his feet could carry him.  
  
He was almost there until he was knocked out cold by a low hanging branch which Ranma didn't spot as the whole woodland was covered in an unnatural darkness. Even with Ranma's keen eyesight in the dark, he didn't spot it as the darkness had a sinister nature to it. The last image he saw was the monastery in flames in the distance as the banner that represented the Kai order was slowly burning.  
  
***  
  
Watching the destruction of the Kai monastery from afar was a hunchbacked figure.   
  
'Finally the order of Kai has annihilated and Sommerlund is ours for the taking. Naar would be certainly be pleased with this result,' thought the hunchbacked person as he saw the carefully laid out plan reached its potential and with success.  
  
Suddenly a deadly cold voice spoke from behind the hunched back person.  
  
"Make sure that ALL of the Kai warriors have been slain, Vonotar."  
  
"Eck... Lord Zagarna, don't do that!" Vonotar said as he was spooked out by the voice.  
  
"Calm yourself Vonotar, stop acting like a baby. Now give me the status report of phase one of our plan!" Darklord Zagarna demanded.  
  
"Phase one was a complete success. The Kai monastery is destroyed and all the Kai warriors have been annihilated. We are currently looking for any Kai survivors that have survived our initial assault," Vonotar reported.  
  
"Excellent. Our master Naar will be pleased. I will be leaving you with the task of clearing up and you will personally be held responsible IF anything goes wrong. I will be taking half of our forces to Toran to finish phase two of our Invasion," Zagarna said.  
  
"But... But I wanted to handle phase two and get my final revenge on the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star. It's not fair!"   
  
"SILENCE! Vonotar you are given your orders, make sure that they're carried out," Zagarna hissed as he mounted a Zlanbeast to start phase two.  
  
"Stupid arrogant Darklord, he thinks he's the boss around here," muttered Vonotar as he saw Zagarna trying to get all the glory in front of his master Naar.  
  
"I heard that! I will pretend not to hear that, now go!" a voice shouted above him. It was Zagarna who was circling round above him.  
  
"Ack... Yes my Lord." With that, Vonotar immediately set to the task of routing out any Kai survivors.  
  
'How did he hear that?' Vonotar thought as he chanted a dark spell that he had been given as part of deal with Darklord Zagarna  
  
Using his magical powers he was able to levitate himself above ground so he was floating as he led a group of Giak riders to begin their search. They were searching every inch of the immediate area of the Sommerlund forest, and he would have spotted Ranma lying unconscious in the woodland clearing. Vonotar would certainly have killed him if he had moved just a little to his left.   
  
Suddenly Vonotar spotted something out of the corner of his eye and narrowly dodged a huge fireball. The two Giak riders next to him were not so lucky as the fireball struck them sending them spiralling down to the hard ground in flames.  
  
"What the hell was that?!" shouted Vonotar as he turned to face the direction from where the fireball had come. What he saw was a red haired female who was hovering just above the ground like him.  
  
"Hey Voney over here!"  
  
'Who is this witch?' thought Vonotar, as he demanded who she was.  
  
"It's VONOTAR, and who the hell are you?"  
  
"Ranko's the name. Come on Voney, come and get me!" She fired off another fireball towards Vonotar and his Giak riders to provoke them.  
  
'Damn I missed. Might as well have some fun with Voney here,' Ranko thought as she raced off while making sure that Vonotar and his Giak warriors were pursuing her. Her main concern was keeping Ranma safe by leading them away from where Ranma was.  
  
"AFTER HER! I want her head on a plate!" Vonotar dodged another incoming fireball as he and the rest of his Giak riders gave chase after the red haired figure.  
  
***  
  
After a few hours had passed Ranma was starting to wake up in the woodland. The sky was filled with dark clouds as a thick blanket of smoke was covering the forest sky.   
  
'Did anyone get the number of that horse?' thought Ranma as he tried to shake off his dizziness and get his bearings. He also had a thumping headache from when he had struck that branch.   
  
'The Monastery,' he immediately thought as he got to his feet and ran to the monastery in the hopes that he could still help his fellow Kai brothers.  
  
By the time Ranma reached the monastery it was too late. The once proud monastery was now left in ruins and was still burning.  
  
'Noooo, I'm too late,' Ranma cried out as he fell to his knees and surveyed the scene of destruction. Using his keen eyesight Ranma could see many bodies of both humans and Giaks scattered around the ruins of the monastery.  
  
Running down the hill to the monastery, Ranma hoped that there would be some survivors of the massacre including his brother Braxus Stormgard. Looking around the scenes of death, Ranma could see so many of his Kai brothers slain including his two best friends Shining Star and Dancing Hawk but they hadn't died without a fight as dozens of Giak warriors were dead and scattered around them.   
  
"May Ishir protect you in your after life, my friends," Ranma said as he gave a short Kai prayer for his fallen comrades.  
  
Ranma didn't have time to bury his two friends as he was sure that the Darklords' forces would return to the scene soon. Carefully walking and surveying the ruins Ranma started to see that this attack was a carefully laid out plan because judging from the damage and accuracy of the attack it must have taken years of planning to kill off the entire order in one go.  
  
'Where is he?' Ranma thought as he tried to identify his brother among the slain bodies.  
  
After about ten minutes of searching for his brother, Ranma decided that he should leave the immediate area, as this was a hot spot as the Darklords' forces had finally invaded Sommerlund. Gathering what he could salvage from the ruins, he managed to find his bow and some other equipment to take with him but not too much because he had to travel light if he was able to escape the immediate area.  
  
Climbing up the hill, Ranma turned around for the very last time to see the ruins of the monastery that he had called home for the last few years.  
  
"I swear on my life that I will have my vengeance on those who are responsible for this massacre even if it takes a lifetime to do it." Ranma swore that he would do anything in his power to get his revenge on his fallen Kai brothers.  
  
"You hear me Naar? You haven't won yet," Ranma shouted as he raised a clenched fist in the air as lightning somehow appeared behind him to make it more dramatic. Before he left he blinked a tearful eye as he left the monastery for the very last time into the dark woods.  
  
***  
  
Carefully walking through the woodland forest of Sommerlund, Ranma aka Wild Horse knew that the invasion of Sommerlund had begun and that he must warn the King of the immediate danger and that the Kai order has been annihilated. As he was about to cross a small stream, Ranma heard the noise of swords clashing and inhuman sounds made somewhere in the forest. Judging from Ranma's Kai senses he estimated that the fight was occurring to the left of him. Wanting to get even with those who had killed his Kai Brothers, Ranma quickly moved with such ease as a fish in water as he was using speed and agility to navigate through the forest.  
  
Finally reaching the place where the fight was occurring, he watched what was unfolding in front of him. What he saw was a brief skirmish between two Giak riders on Kraans, which Ranma instantly recognised as one of the creatures that had taken part in the destruction of the Kai monastery. They were currently fighting against a grey cloaked character that seemed vaguely familiar to Ranma.  
  
"AAWRAAAAAK!" the Kraan cried out.  
  
"ORGADAK TAAG!" The Giak rider shot an arrow at the cloaked person.  
  
The person moved with such speed and agility that he dodged the arrow with ease and skill.  
  
"You need to try better than that, Giak scum!" the cloaked stranger shouted, as he pulled out his short sword from his cloak, which Ranma instantly recognised.  
  
'Two against one, I like those odds,' the stranger thought as one of Giak riders swooped down towards him.  
  
"Come on Giak, make my day!" taunted the stranger.  
  
'It can't be,' Ranma thought with surprise. He didn't want to get his hopes up but he was sure that it was he. Wanting to confirm his suspicions he continued to watch the fight to try to make out the face which was hidden under a cloak.  
  
As the winged Kraan swooped toward the stranger, he ducked and thrust his short sword right into its belly, which spent the creature crashing through woods behind him, and sent the Giak riding on it flying right into a tree head first, cracking its skull and neck on impact.  
  
As the cloaked person got to his feet, the hood that hid his face fell back. Ranma's jaw dropped as he recognised whom it was.  
  
'He's alive, my brother Braxus,' Ranma thought, overjoyed to see that his brother had survived the massacre; but the question was, how?   
  
Wanting to make sure that this stranger was indeed his brother, he continued to watch the fight. During his trekking thought the woods, there had been many of Naar's agents around dressed in the uniforms of Kai warriors so that they would root out any survivors but Ranma was able to sense their evil auras and managed to avoid them. He would interfere if he was in danger but he was sure that this was his brother.  
  
The second Giak rider, seeing that his comrade was taken out with ease, screamed in outrage. Swooping down as the first rider had before, the stranger dodged the attack but didn't see the Kraan's claw smacking him in the back sending him crashing to the ground. The stranger seemed knocked out as the Giak got off his Kraan and was about to finish him off.  
  
"EK! EK! EK! ORGADAK ZEJAR GOOGA ZEGOR!" The Giak warriors walked up to finish him off, thinking that this human was unconscious. Ranma was about to intervene to save his brother when he noticed that he was holding his short sword in his hand in readiness.  
  
'Closer, just a bit closer,' the stranger thought as he sensed the Giak approaching ever nearer. When he was almost on top of him, Braxus rolled to his left, narrowly avoiding the axe and immediately got up.  
  
"Die, vile spawn of Naar!" he screamed as his short sword chopped off the Giak warrior's head with ease.   
  
He then fell to his knees in exhaustion and was resting to get his breath back forgetting one thing... the Kraan.  
  
"AWAAKWAWAK! AWAAAKWAAK!" the Kraan cried out as it dove down.  
  
'Oh crap,' he thought, as he didn't have time to defend himself from the attack of the Kraan.  
  
Suddenly Ranma jumped out from where he was hiding to engage the Kraan before it reached his brother.  
  
"Will you shut up? I've had enough of your annoying cries and cackles!" Ranma shouted as he chopped off one of its wings with his sword.  
  
'I bet there isn't any other creature as annoying as this,' Ranma thought as he saw the creature crashing down.  
  
***  
  
Somewhere in another Dimension e.g. Rumiko Takashashi universe  
  
A certain crazed black leotard-clad rhythmic gymnastics martial artist sneezed as she hopped from roof to roof in Nerima.  
  
***  
  
Ranma scanned the area to see if they were any more of those creatures about. Sensing nothing, he walked over to the cloaked stranger who looked up with surprise.  
  
"Ra... Ranma is that you?" he said with surprise as he sheathed his short sword.  
  
"Yes, it's me. I thought you were dead?" Ranma gave his brother Braxus a great big hug. He was glad that someone apart from him had survived the massacre.  
  
"The same for me, too. Before the attack, Wise Heart told me to fetch you before the feast started as it was inappropriate sending you out like that," Braxus replied as he returned the brotherly hug having thought that Ranma was dead too.  
  
"Yeah but we must warn the King of the news and that the Darklords' forces have begun their invasion of Sommerlund."  
  
"That would be the most appropriate plan. Come, we better get moving before any more of this kind starting appearing."  
  
"Did you find any other survivors?" asked Ranma, wanting to know if anyone else survived. Braxus shook his head.  
  
"Haven't seen anyone since I left the ruins of the monastery. How about you?"  
  
"None, I'm afraid that we are the only Kai warriors left in Sommerlund," Ranma said in a sad tone.  
  
"We must avenge our fallen brothers and warn the king," Braxus said to raise their morale. Ranma nodded and they got up and headed straight to Holmgard.  
  
***  
  
As our only two Kai warrior survivors were heading south toward the capital city of Holmgard, following hot on their trail was the Darklords' forces that were responsible for the devastating attack that had nearly wiped out the entire Kai order in Sommerlund. Swift Blade aka Braxus decided to keep off the main roads to avoid detection and the dangers that were still present.   
  
Of course, by taking this route it meant that it would take longer to get to Holmgard, as they had to navigate through dense woodland. Wild Horse aka Ranma agreed it was the best plan to follow as they were seriously outnumbered. They must reach the city of Holmgard in order to warn King Ulnar V of the news that the Kai order had been destroyed and that the Darklords' forces had begun their invasion of Sommerlund.  
  
As Ranma and Braxus were going through the dense woodlands, it was Ranma who heard the sounds of a battle that was occurring just fifty feet ahead of them. Deciding to find out what it was, Ranma crept forward slowly while using his Kai discipline of camouflage as a precaution so that he wouldn't be spotted as he moved to investigate. Also, he signalled silently to his brother Braxus to keep an active lookout.  
  
As Ranma crept forward, he could hear the sound of an intense battle, of shouting and noise like thunder getting closer and closer as he made his way forward. As Ranma edged closer to the site of the battle, he noticed that it was in the ruins of an old building that used to be part of an old forest temple. Getting a good vantagepoint among the ruins, he could see what was happening. What he saw surprised him as he could see roughly twelve charred and smoking Giak soldiers scattered near the entrance to the temple ruins.   
  
Ranma could hear the battle being fought within the temple and crept silently further into the ruins. After a few minutes of moving quietly among the ruins till he reached a clearing, Ranma could make out the person who had taken out the Giaks that he had previously seen, and was currently zapping Giak soldiers left and right of him with blue lightning bolts. From where Ranma was he could see that the person was tired and was wearing a purple robe embroidered with star symbols, which Ranma instantly recognised.   
  
'BANEDON!' thought Ranma as he saw his old friend fighting off the Giak Soldiers with his magical powers.   
  
From the of the battle, it seemed Banedon was winning for the moment but as tides of Giak soldiers came flooding in, Ranma could see that Banedon was beginning to feel exhausted and would soon be too weak to fight.  
  
'Banedon needs my help,' thought Ranma as he immediately charged forward to help his friend in need.  
  
As Ranma made his way forward to aid Banedon, it was at that moment a group of five Giaks decided to charge in with their spears in the hope of stabbing this human who had slain half of their war party.  
  
'I don't think I can hold this up any longer,' thought Banedon as he raised his left hand and chanted a battle spell as a bolt of blue lightning shot out from his fingertips into the group of snarling Giak soldiers.   
  
As the blue lightning struck the assault group, Banedon didn't noticed that one of the Giak soldiers had managed to sneak around him and was currently on top of a pillar with a jagged dagger in his mouth.  
  
Seeing that Banedon was unaware of the single Giak soldier that was about to attack him from behind, Ranma charged forward and called out a warning Banedon.  
  
"BANEDON, BEHIND YOU!" shouted Ranma as drew out his sword in the hope that he would make in time to save Banedon.   
  
Hearing a shout, Banedon looked to his left and saw his friend Ranma rushing out from the ruins.  
  
"Ranma! Thank Ishir you came. What's behind me?" Banedon shouted back as he turned around to see the Giak perched on top of the pillar behind him.  
  
The Giak that was behind him leapt from the pillar towards Banedon with the intention of stabbing this annoying human in the heart with his jagged dagger. Ranma was too far away to prevent the Giak's attack on Banedon, who was immobilised with fear as he saw the Giak bearing down on him with the dagger.  
  
"ORGADAK TAAG!!! ...Urrgg," was the only thing that the Giak said as two arrows slammed into his chest and pinned him to the pillar.  
  
Shaking out of his moment of frozenness, Banedon turned to see Braxus coming out of the ruins with a silver bow in his hands.  
  
"Braxus!" shouted Banedon as he saw that his old friend had saved his life, just like old times.  
  
"Come Ranma, let's aid Banedon over there," shouted Braxus as he engaged the nearest Giak soldier while Ranma aided Banedon who was having trouble dealing with three Giak at the same time.   
  
Blue lightning and steel were engaged in the skirmish. Among the group of Giak soldiers was a black clad Giak that Ranma assumed was the leader of the war party. The black clad Giak was indeed the leader and as he saw these two humans coming to the aid of the human wizard and slaying a couple more of his Giak soldiers, he decided it was time to call a retreat into the woods.  
  
"OGOT! OGOT!" he shouted out to his remaining troops who responded by fleeing into the safety of the woods. Before the leader joined the rest of his fleeing soldiers, he turned around and screamed out, "RANEG ROGAG OK - ORGADAKA OKAK ROGAG GAJ!" before joining the rest of retreating soldiers in the woods.  
  
Seeing that the skirmish had been won, Ranma and Braxus sheathed their weapons. Braxus decided to make a quick count of the dead Giaks that were scattered among the ruins; it was about twenty-five. Seeing there was no immediate danger, both Ranma and Braxus made their way towards Banedon who was sitting down on large stone block trying to regain some of his strength that he had used up in the skirmish.  
  
"Thank Ishir that you two came to aid me, my powers were nearly drained and had you not come to my aid, I fear I would have ended my days atop a Giak lance." Banedon greeted his two friends that had come in the nick of time.  
  
"Hey, what are friends for?" replied Braxus as he greeted Banedon in the same way.  
  
"Banedon, what are you doing here?" asked Ranma as he sat down opposite Banedon. He too was exhausted from the battle.  
  
"Well... My Guildmasters had asked me to deliver a message to your Kai Lords, and seeing that this was an opportunity to see you again, I volunteered along with two other fellow companions. We were about half way to the Kai monastery when a party of Giak warriors ambushed us and we were split up. I fear that my companions are dead now," explained Banedon.  
  
"Here is the message that I supposed to give to your masters. It's been opened and it's a warning that the festival should be cancelled as there has been reported a vast army beyond the Durncrag range. We must give this to your masters." Banedon removed vellum envelope from inside his robes and handed to Ranma.   
  
"What's wrong?" asked Banedon as he saw the sad look on Ranma's face as he readied the message.  
  
"We're the only two surviving Kai warriors left. The Kai monastery has been destroyed and all the Kai Lords have been slain," Braxus said as he kept a watch out for any more attacks.  
  
"We barely managed to escape the slaughter with our lives," added Ranma, remembering all the friends he had made at the Kai monastery dead. Ranma then explained in detail to Banedon about the massive army comprised of Giaks mounted on Zlanbeast and Kraan that had attacked during the festival and almost annihilated every single member of the Kai order.  
  
"It seems that we have been betrayed," Banedon said as he listened to Ranma.  
  
"How?" demanded Ranma, wanting to know the person who had betrayed them and Sommerlund.  
  
"Well, there was a rumour that Vonotar had allied himself with the Darklords. Vonotar used to be a brother of my order and was said to have discovered the forbidden mysteries of the Black Arts. I met him once and I didn't like the feeling I was getting from him; it felt darker and more sinister than I expected from a brother of the Crystal Star. Anyway, he denounced the Brotherhood and killed one of our Elders," explained Banedon.  
  
'Wait till I get my hands on him,' thought Banedon as he got up from where he sitting feeling much better.  
  
"We'd better leave this place before any more of those Giaks come looking for us and make us pay in revenge," Braxus said. He could sense that if they stayed, they would certainly be killed.  
  
"Good idea. I must return to my Guild and bring back the news to my Guildmasters. Before I go Ranma, I want you to have this." Banedon removed a gold necklace that he was wearing and gave it to Ranma.  
  
"Thanks Banedon," Ranma said gratefully as he put it around his neck.  
  
"It's a symbol of the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star and will bring you good luck. I think that you will need it," Banedon said as he bid farewell to his two friends and headed immediately towards Toran, while Ranma and Braxus headed in the opposite direction to Holmgard to warn the King.  
  
***  
  
The whole area of the Sommerlund forest was filled with danger and without the protection of the Kai Lords to drive the Darklords' forces back, the people were in danger, especially those in rural villages. Ranma and Braxus tried their best to help these people but there was so much to do as they were woefully outnumbered despite their considerable skill.  
  
Along the way they had encountered Giaks, Kraan and even Drakkarim warriors as they made their way through the forest. It was a sad sight to see so many villages being burnt down, as the Darklords wanted nothing but the total annihilation of the Sommlending. The current forces of Sommerlund that were repelling the advances of the enemy forces were not enough, seriously outnumbered two to one.   
  
We now see them helping the villagers to get to safety and into shelter after their village were razed down to the ground just a few miles to the north. The people look tired and hungry but their spirits refuse to be broken by the invaders, causing Ranma to admire the people for their courage and determination. The group was mainly comprised of women and children as the men had stayed to fight off the invaders from their lands. Hopefully they would reach the village of Searsby where they would be safe. They were currently three minutes away from the village and so far everything was fine until Ranma heard the cries of the group.  
  
"Kraan, Kraan! Hide yourselves!"   
  
"People, try to remain calm and when I say "Go!" run to the village. We will handle this." Ranma tried to calm the scared people, and they listened to what their protector was saying.  
  
"Thank Ishir for your aid, Kai Lord" the people said.   
  
Looking down the road, Ranma could see a war party of Kraan riders heading towards them, intent of slaughtering the villagers that Ranma and Braxus were protecting. He could see his brother who was acting as the rearguard and he already spotted the danger. He ran up to Braxus, who was getting ready to engage the threat by readying his bow.  
  
"How many do see?" asked Ranma.  
  
"About seven," Braxus said without looking up.  
  
"How many arrows do we have?"  
  
"Enough to take about four of them out. Did you manage to calm the villagers down?" asked Braxus as he counted the number of arrows he had.  
  
"Yeah, they ready to leg it down to the village."  
  
"Do you think they make it?"  
  
"Of course, but they'll have to run quick until they reach the safety of the village."  
  
"Good, once I give the word, we must act fast."  
  
The war party was coming ever nearer and the villagers almost bolted until Ranma reassured them. Looking down the road, he could see the village and the defenders were ready to receive the homeless people.  
  
"Go!" Ranma ordered as everyone started to run to the village.  
  
Ranma and Braxus launched a volley of arrows at the Giak riders to provide cover as the villagers ran. They managed to nail four of the riders instantly due to their expertise with the bow, the rest just scattered to avoid the arrows.  
  
The villagers had all made it to the village as Ranma gave a quick count to see if everyone was accounted for. It seemed that everyone was accounted for until a woman cried out.  
  
"Where is my baby daughter?"  
  
Braxus heard the woman's cries and looked back down the road. There, in the middle of the road, was a small child who had tripped over during the mad rush. Nearby her was a Kraan who had spotted her and dived down to make a quick meal of her.   
  
"My baby!" the woman screamed as she saw her daughter was in danger.  
  
"Calm down, we doing all we can to save her," Ranma reassured her as he spotted out of the corner of his eye Braxus running toward the child.  
  
Braxus, seeing that he wouldn't reach her time, decided to baseball slide along the dusty road, and he managed to pick up the child just seconds from being taken by the swooping Kraan. It was about to make a return pass at Braxus who was holding the child until an arrow struck it right in the eye. Not wasting any more time, Braxus got to his feet and immediately ran for the village before the rest of them turn up.   
  
The mother was eternally grateful for Braxus' efforts in saving her baby daughter as he returned the girl back to her mother.  
  
"You did great, bro," Ranma said as he patted him on the back.  
  
"Thanks Ranma. We can't stay long we must continue our mission."  
  
"You're right, we leave at first light." They decided to get some rest and food before they left the village.  
  
***  
  
Next day  
  
We see Ranma and Braxus currently treading through the muddy ground as they head eastwards along the water's edge of the river Eledil. The only way to cross the river and reach Holmgard was a stone bridge. Moving carefully through the woods and using their Kai skill of camouflage as an extra precaution, so far Ranma and Braxus had avoided numerous patrols and scouts of the Darklords' forces.   
  
"Are you sure this is the only way to cross the river?" asked Ranma as he kept a lookout for Giak war parties or scouts.  
  
"Yeah, the Alema Bridge is the only way to cross the river. We don't have time to cross the river ourselves," replied Braxus as he checked his map.  
  
"You know that the bridge will be one of the main objectives that the Darklord forces will try to occupy and defend."  
  
"We really don't have a choice. If it is under enemy control, we will have to fight our way across it," Braxus replied.  
  
On the outside, Braxus looked confident and was in high spirits but inside he was unsure of himself that they would both make it. He didn't want to tell his brother of what he was really feeling for the sake of morale.   
  
"Yeah but..." was all Ranma said before Braxus interrupted him by placing his finger on his lips.  
  
"Quiet. Can you heard that?" whispered Braxus as Ranma listened to the noise of the background.  
  
What Braxus heard was the sound of a fierce battle. The sound of men and beast could be heard echoing through the forest, and the clash of steel swords. Quickly the two raced towards the sound of where the battle was being fought. Once they left the woodland and entered into the clearing, they were able to see what was happening   
  
What they saw was two forces engaged in a fierce battle and they looked like they were fighting over the bridge that Ranma and Braxus were meant to cross. On one side were the forces of the Darklords and on the other side were the human defenders. Braxus immediately recognised the human soldier as he saw the war banner that indicated that they were the Sommerlund army, led by Crown Prince Pelethar of Sommerlund. From Braxus' experience, judging from the fight it looked like a losing battle unless reinforcements came soon.   
  
In the midst of the fierce battle, Braxus spotted Prince Pelethar, the King's son, in the forefront of the battle and he was currently in combat with a large grey Gourgaz, which was twice the height of him. Suddenly, the Prince fell, wounded by an arrow shot by one Giak archers, the arrow impaled into his side.   
  
Without hesitation, Ranma charged forward to save the Prince and engaged the Gourgaz while Braxus dragged the Prince away from the battle. Judging from the wound that the arrow caused it would need immediate attention; otherwise the Prince would die. Not wanting this to happen, Braxus ordered some of the Prince's bodyguards to form a protective wall around him and the prince as arrows whistled past Braxus' head. Using his Kai discipline of Healing, he started to heal some of the damage.   
  
Ranma on the other hand was having a difficult time fighting off the Gourgaz who was blocking the bridge. A Gourgaz was a cold-blooded reptilian creature and was twice the height of Ranma.   
  
'Why do I have to fight the biggest and baddest of them all?' Ranma thought as he parried the Gourgaz's huge battleaxe with his sword. He could hear the Giak behind the Gourgaz encouraging him to kill this puny human that dared stand in their way.   
  
"Err... Braxus, a little help?" Ranma said as he dodged another swipe from the Gourgaz.  
  
"Not now, Ranma, I have to save the prince first!" replied Braxus as he was still attending the wounds of the fallen prince.   
  
"Okay then," Ranma said as he focused on the Gourgaz that was hell bent on killing him.  
  
Although the Gourgaz was much tougher and stronger than Ranma, it was still slow, and Ranma was able to find gaps in the monster's defenses. After three minutes of intense fighting, the Gourgaz started to weaken to the wounds inflicted and was staggering near the edge of bridge.  
  
'This is my chance,' thought Ranma as he ran up to the staggering Gourgaz and drop kicked it in the chest. The blow from Ranma's kick caused the Gourgaz to tumble over the edge of the bridge and into the water.   
  
As the Giant Gourgaz washed down the river, the Giaks cursed Ranma for defeating their champion and started to fall back from the bridge. Soon the Prince's soldiers were able to reclaim the bridge from the Giak soldiers due to Ranma's efforts.  
  
Ranma walked over to where Braxus and the fallen Prince were.  
  
"Braxus, how is the Prince doing?" asked Ranma as he sat down on a nearby log, exhausted.  
  
Braxus finished attending the wounds on the Prince and looked up at Ranma.  
  
"He will live. Lucky for him I was able to heal him quickly enough with what I learned from my Kai master and my mother. His condition is stabilising but he is quite weak right now," Braxus explained. The Prince slowly rose from where he was lying.  
  
"Prince Pelethar, you need your rest," pleaded Braxus but the Prince shook his head, as he wanted to say something.  
  
"Kai Lords, I wish to thank you for saving my life but I ask one of you to take a message to my father the King," Pelethar said in a weak voice.  
  
"What is this message, Prince Pelethar?" asked Ranma.  
  
"Tell the king the enemy is strong and with our current forces, we cannot hold them without reinforcements. The king must seek that which is in Durenor or all is lost," was all Pelethar had to say before he fell unconscious. Braxus immediately checked his condition and sighed in relief as he had just fallen asleep.  
  
"Ranma, I will stay and defend the Prince. The bridge must remain in our hands until reinforcements come from Holmgard. I want you to go to Holmgard and take the Prince's horse," Braxus said.  
  
"But I thought that we be going together to Holmgard?" asked Ranma as he was a bit wary of leaving his brother here.  
  
"It's important that we hold the bridge to slow down the Darklords' forces advance. Also it will be must faster to get there if one of us goes, and it will be less hard to track," explained Braxus.  
  
"But still..." Ranma replied.  
  
"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. So get going!"   
  
"Okay, okay, I'm going, see you in Holmgard," replied Ranma as he eventually gave in to Braxus' request.  
  
"Yeah, see you in Holmgard. I'll cover your back when you leave here as there's bound to be ambushers along the path."   
  
"Well if you're going to cover my back, I think you will need this," Ranma said as he unsung his silver bow and handled it to his brother.  
  
Braxus accepted Ranma silver bow.  
  
"What don't you trust me in covering your back Ranma?" Braxus asked.  
  
"I do trust you brother, but this will guarantees you that you will cover my back as I go down there." Ranma pointed to the area of clearing.  
  
Braxus nodded and started to find a good sniper spot along the bridge.  
  
As he saw Ranma get on the horse, he asked some of the Prince's men to help clear the path for Ranma. He went to spot where he could see clearly the path that Ranma was about to follow. Placing some arrows on the ground, he prepared himself to take out any threat to Ranma as he rode. Braxus notices the craftsmanship on the bow and knew that this was a rare item as he tested the bowstrings.  
  
"Ready Wild Horse? You've better live up to your name if you are going to leave this clearing. May Ishir protect you," Braxus said, as there was quite some distance till he reached some cover in the woods.  
  
"As ready as always," Ranma said in a confident voice.  
  
"Now go, run like the wind," shouted Braxus as he smacked the horse. Ranma's horse started galloping along the path. Braxus had expected there would be Giak soldiers hidden among the undergrowth near the path, and he spotted Giak soldiers emerging from their spots.  
  
As each Giak ambusher tried to dislodge Ranma from the horse and prevent him from reaching Holmgard, one by one they were picked off by Braxus' bow skills and using his Kai discipline of weaponskill, he was able to do so with pinpoint accuracy. Eventually Ranma cleared the path and disappeared into the woods.  
  
'Good Luck Ranma. You will need it,' thought Braxus.  
  
Braxus then turned around to aid the Prince's men in preparation for another assault on the bridge. Sheathing his family short sword, he prepared himself for the oncoming assault.  
  
Soon, fresh troops of Giak soldier renewed their assault followed by a flock of Kraan from the sky.  
  
"For Kai and Sommerlund!" Swift Blade aka Braxus shouted a warcry to rally the weary defenders of the bridge.  
  
TBC...  
  
*** 


	10. Chapter 7

Ranma/Lone Wolf Crossover Fanfiction  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma 1/2 or the Lone Wolf Series or any other characters. The rights to Ranma 1/2 belong to Rumiko Takahashi and for the Lone Wolf Series Joe Dever. This story is created solely for entertainment purposes and no profit as gained from this..  
  
Note.  
Kai Names:  
* Ranma Stormgard (Saotome) - Wild Horse  
* Braxus Stormgard - Swift Blade  
  
Wild Horse of Kai  
  
By Montymouse  
  
' ' - Thought  
" " - Speech  
  
Chapter Seven - The Prophecy of Sommerlund  
  
***  
  
Ranma's point of view   
  
Ranma had his doubts about leaving his brother at the bridge, as he was sure that they would be outnumbered if reinforcements didn't come in time. Braxus had his duty to protect the Prince while Ranma had his duty to warn the King that the Darklords were invading.  
  
"Ready, Wild Horse? You've better live up to your name if you are going to leave the clearing. May Ishir protect you." Ranma could hear his brother telling him to gallop as fast he could.  
  
Ranma looked down the path that he was about to follow.  
  
'Hmm... I have to reach the safety of the woods, but before that I'll be vulnerable to attackers. At least I can trust my brother to cover me while I gallop at full speed, I hope,' Ranma thought as he looked at the fine horse that he had been given.  
  
"Listen horse, I know that you are scared and I'd be lying if I weren't too, but for both our lives I expect you to do your best. That is all I expect for you," Ranma whispered into the horse's ear as he used his Animal Kinship to calm the horse down, sensing its nervousness.  
  
The horse neighed in approval and stomped its hooves on the ground. Ranma prepared and nodded to his brother Braxus that he was ready.  
  
"Now go, run like the wind." Ranma heard Braxus as he felt his horse begin to move with a start from Braxus' encouragement. The horse sure was fast as it galloped like the wind along the path as Ranma held tightly to the reins.  
  
When Ranma was almost halfway along the path, he noticed something out of the corner of his eye moving suspiciously in the tall grass. Suddenly a figure jumped out of the long grass with a weapon in its hand, poised to knock Ranma down.  
  
'Oh crap!' Ranma thought, as he had no time to react due to the sudden appearance of the Giak warrior. The Giak ambusher was almost on top of him as it leapt towards Ranma, who closed his eyes to minimise the pain. A split second later the Giak warrior fell to ground as a silver arrow pieced its skull, killing it instantly.  
  
Opening his eyes, Ranma glanced back to see his brother was already covering him as he fired off another arrow at the Giak warrior to Ranma's left.  
  
'Thanks bro, I owe you one,' Ranma thought as he continued to ride at full speed while his brother was firing arrows with deadly accuracy at the Giak warriors trying to ambush him. Eventually Ranma made it to the safety of the woodland, but not before looking back at for one last moment.  
  
What Ranma saw was his brother, the Prince and his men preparing another assault to try to hold the bridge against the invading horde. The forces of the Darklords outnumbered the defenders of the bridge three to one, but Ranma knew that his brother was a skilled fighter and he heard him shout out a Kai battlecry.  
  
"Hang on there," Ranma whispered as he started to move through the forest.  
  
***  
  
An hour later, Ranma could see the capital city of Sommerlund in the distance, which meant that his long journey was almost finished. It was nearly dark and his horse was almost exhausted due to the consistent galloping across the fields and countryside.   
  
Ranma decided that the best option would be to let the horse rest for a while before they continued on the final part of their journey. Getting off the horse, Ranma led the horse through a nearby wood to an empty clearing near a river. Letting the horse rest, Ranma sat down near a log and decided to see what rations he had left.   
  
'It's not what I call a meal, but it's good enough,' thought Ranma as he ate the rest of his remaining provisions so that he would be strong enough to complete his journey.   
  
All Ranma had to eat was a few dried biscuits and a slice of cheese. As Ranma was eating his meal, he noticed that his horse was starting to get a bit nervous and kept making odd noises and stamping its hooves on the ground. Getting up, Ranma made his way over to the horse.  
  
"Easy boy, what is it that's got you so worked up?" Ranma said as he tried to use his animal kinship to find out what was spooking the horse.  
  
Then Ranma noticed a black Raven perched near a branch that seemed to be giving him a look of death. Sensing the evil aura that the Raven was giving off, Ranma started to throw stones at the Raven to scare it away. It worked, and it flew overhead of Ranma and disappeared into the woods.  
  
Before the Raven left, it said something that Ranma understood due to his animal kinship that worried Ranma for a moment. Ranma swore he had heard it say, "Curse you mortal."   
  
The horse calmed down after that and Ranma tried to start a fire before night settled in to keep warm, deciding that it would best to camp, but still maintaining constant awareness due to the Raven's warning.  
  
It was midnight now and the fire that Ranma had made was slowly dying out. Ranma was sleeping while keeping his weapon near him just in case. It wasn't totally dark, as there was a moon tonight which provided some light in the otherwise dark forest.  
  
A sudden gust of wind quickly blew out the rest of the flames and darkness filled the campsite. Ranma was by this time fast asleep, as was his horse, which was resting near him. They were not alone, though, as a shadow was slowly creeping through the bushes.   
  
The shadow emerged from the woods as it slowly crept towards the sleeping warrior. On the shoulder of this stranger was the same black Raven that Ranma had encountered earlier; it was totally silent as its master crept forward. What we can see in the moonlight is that the stranger is covered head to toe in a black cloak as it drew its black sword slowly. It planned to assassinate him. He stopped just in front of Ranma and raised its dark blade high into the air with the intent of thrusting it through Ranma's heart.  
  
What saved Ranma from this fate was his horse. It sensed the dark presence and neighed to sound the alarm. Ranma, hearing the horse's calls as a warning of immediate danger due to his animal kinship, opened his eyes in time and looked up to see the shadowy figure poised to deliver the final blow.   
  
Instinctively Ranma immediately rolled to his left, narrowly avoiding the blade as it came down and pieced his bedroll. Ranma should have rolled to his right where his sword lay, but at least he escaped without having a hole through his chest.  
  
Ranma got to his feet and faced the stranger who had tried to kill him in such a dishonourable fashion, and demanded to know who he was.  
  
"Who are you?" demanded Ranma as he got into a marital arts stance.  
  
As Ranma's voice echoed throughout the trees, the stranger slowly turned around to face him and pulled back his hood to reveal himself. It then let out an inhuman cry as it leapt toward Ranma.  
  
Ranma instantly knew that this opponent wasn't human. His heartbeat was pounding as he recognised this opponent to be a Vordak, a hideous lieutenant of the Darklords and one of the undead. Ranma froze for a moment but quickly shook it off in time to narrowly dodge the blade.   
  
Relying on his experience and what he had learnt from his former tutor Storm Hawk, he had to be extremely careful of this creature as they sometimes used psychic attacks to paralyse their victims before killing them. Also he noticed that the blade the Vordak was using was smeared with a purple slime that indicated that it would be deadly to him if this creature wounded him.  
  
The Vordak was able to see in the dark as it was undead and would have had an advantage against anyone fighting in the dark. Luckily for Ranma, he was able to see his opponent in the limited amount light, as his night vision was excellent, as he had developed it to perfection during his Kai training. The recommended method of learning to see in the dark was staying in a very dark cave for twelve hours a day for two weeks, as this would allow the eyes to focus and get used to the murky darkness.   
  
Circling around the Vordak, Ranma tried to go for his sword that was lying near his bedroll. The Vordak was moving at inhuman speed, but luckily Ranma was faster. His experience in martial arts and his Kai training kept him at arm's length of the deadly blade.  
  
'Must disarm him before I can do anything first,' thought Ranma.   
  
He had almost reached for the hilt of his sword when the Raven swooped down from where it was perched and prevented him from grabbing it. Ranma backflipped as the Vordak bought down his blade, then bent down to get his weapon.  
  
'That was close,' thought Ranma as he heard the Vordak cursing his bad luck.  
  
What made the situation worse for Ranma was that the Raven was constantly attacking him to distract him while his master tried to kill him with his sword. It was looking bad for Ranma: he was unarmed and was against a skilled undead whose blade was extremely dangerous.  
  
Ranma decided to stand against a tree and try to provoke the Vordak into attacking as he felt the annoying black Raven behind him.  
  
"Come on Vordak, what are you afraid of? Are you afraid of little old me?" Ranma taunted, making the Vordak even more determined to kill this wretched human mortal.  
  
'Ranma, I do hope you know what you're doing, because I don't,' a little voice called his conscious called out to him from the back of his mind as he saw the Vordak running at full pace toward him. Ranma hoped that his plan would work.  
  
'Closer, closer, NOW!' Ranma thought as he jumped over him, landing gracefully behind him. The Vordak couldn't stop his momentum and his deadly blade sliced the black Raven in two and impaled it quite deeply into the trunk of the tree.  
  
Ranma quickly went to grab his sword as the Vordak attempted to pull its weapon out of the tree. After several attempts, it gave up its poisoned blade and slowly turned around.  
  
"You sure are ugly!" taunted Ranma as the Vordak let out another inhuman cry. It pulled out a secondary weapon, which was a cruel looking mace. At least it wasn't poisoned.  
  
"Bring it on!" Ranma said as levelled his sword as him. He then saw the Vordak once again charge toward him.  
  
After three minutes of slashing, bashing, hacking and dodging of weapons, Ranma managed to spot a gap in the Vordak's defenses and thrust his sword through his chest. Staggering back from Ranma's attack, it tried to pull out Ranma's sword as it let out a piecing scream that echoed throughout the woods.   
  
"Come on already! I don't have all that much time you know," Ranma said. He was currently sitting down on a log and had been watching the Vordak for at least two minutes staggering around the campsite still having his sword impaled in its chest.  
  
Then it finally died just as it managed to pull out the weapon and fell to the ground.  
  
"It's about time. Talk about a lame death," Ranma said as he walked over to the corpse and picked up his sword while making sure that it was dead. (I mean really dead this time.)   
  
He didn't want to search the corpse because he really didn't want to touch the undead body; who knew where it had been? Also it smelt pretty bad, too.  
  
Looking to the sky, he noticed that he had been up all night and that it was sunrise. Gathering his equipment and his damaged bedroll, Ranma got on his horse and started to ride toward his final destination, Holmgard.  
  
***  
  
Somewhere near Holmgard, Capital of Sommerlund  
  
Ranma was currently riding across an open field while still maintaining a constant state of vigilance for any ambushers or Kraan scouts. As he was riding he spotted a person near a building who seemed to be calling him to come over. Wondering what he wanted, Ranma made his way over to the person.  
  
On closer inspection, Ranma could see from his insignia that he was a Sergeant of the Sommlending forces and he looked like he had been to Hell and back. He looked battle weary and his uniform was bloodstained. Behind him were the rest of his men and they looked even worse than their Sergeant did. The Sergeant walked up to Ranma's horse and put his hands up to indicate friendship.   
  
Looking up at Ranma, he smiled as he recognised the cloak that Ranma was wearing.  
  
"My Lord, where are the other Kai Masters? We are in desperate need of their wisdom as the Darklords have us pressed most cruelly and casualties are high," the Sergeant said.  
  
Ranma got off his horse and started to inform the officer the terrible news and that it was important for him to see the King's council. The Sergeant was saddened by the news but fully understood the importance of this mission.  
  
"We shall accompany you, Lord... err... what is you name my Lord?" asked the Sergeant.  
  
"Wild Horse," Ranma replied as he got back on his horse.  
  
"Lord Wild Horse, we will accompany you as an escort as this is a matter of urgency." The Sergeant signalled two of his men to come with him and bring horses with them.  
  
"Thank you," Ranma said.  
  
Ranma and the Sergeant with his two men started to gallop off towards the high city wall of Holmgard.  
  
Finally they reached the main gates of the capital, and Ranma looked up in awe at the height of the city's wall.  
  
'It's a lot taller than I expected,' thought Ranma as he started to feel a bit dizzy just looking up the city wall.  
  
"Lord Wild Horse, follow me please."   
  
Ranma and the officer raced through the tunnel of the inner gatehouse finally stopping outside the doorway of the main watchtower. The Sergeant was waiting for Ranma to follow.  
  
"I thank you for your assistance but I think I can find my own way to the King," Ranma said politely. The Sergeant nodded in response.  
  
"As you wish, My Lord." The Sergeant bowed and left to return to his own men.  
  
Ranma was left alone in the busy streets of Holmgard, surrounded by people as he tried to work out where the Citadel was.  
  
'Better start finding this citadel,' Ranma thought.   
  
***  
  
Somewhere in Holmgard  
  
After two hours of wandering and asking people where the Citadel was, Ranma finally reached the entrance of the Citadel and was about to enter until two guards bearing the symbols representing the Royal arms of Sommerlund stopped him.  
  
"What business do want with our king?" asked one of the Guards as he eyed Ranma with suspicion.  
  
"I have a urgent message to give to your king." Ranma briefly explained his story to the guards hoping that they would allow him in.  
  
The guards did not believe Ranma's story and refused to allow him to enter.   
  
Not want a confrontation with the guards - they were the good guys, and besides he was too tired to fight - Ranma decided to find another route into the citadel. After hours of searching for way in, he came across the entrance to a Guildhall. The Guildhall stood at one side of the Guild Bridge, which crossed the River Eledil near where it flowed out into the Holmgulf.   
  
'Maybe someone there can help me?' thought Ranma as he entered the Guildhall.   
  
Walking into the room, Ranma was stopped by a distinguished old man in deep purple robes who seemed a bit startled by him. Carefully he looked at Ranma, judging whether he was threat, and demanded a reason for his intrusion into the Guildhall.  
  
"Who are you?" demanded the man as he reached for the hilt of his weapon. He didn't expect a foreigner to enter into Guildhall, especially his inner chamber.  
  
"Calm down sir. I am Wild Horse of Kai," Ranma said to calm him down not really wanting to fight this person right now.  
  
This relaxed the old man immediately as he recognised the cloak and uniform that Ranma was wearing, confirming who he was. The man was still a bit cautious and asked Ranma what was he doing there. Ranma looked at the old man to see if he could trust him for a moment. Seeing that he seemed safe enough, he started to explain to him that he had an urgent message for the king. Ranma could sense a good aura surrounding the old man.   
  
The old man seemed to believe Ranma's story and quickly moved him into the Guildmaster's chambers.  
  
"I am sorry for the rude welcome Wild Horse, but these are times where you have to be on your guard. My name is Veriak," the old man apologised.  
  
"There is no need to apologise Veriak. I am sorry for my intrusion but I have an urgent message for the king."  
  
"Please sit and tell me why is this message so important that it has to be delivered to the king?"   
  
After a few minutes of Ranma explaining his story to the old man, he was listening with keen interest. When Ranma had finished his explanation Veriak then got up and took Ranma's arm, leading him into an adjoining library, closing the door behind them. The library was filled with all sorts of scrolls and textbooks, but Veriak wasn't interested in them. He walked to a bookcase and pressed one of the many thousands of books. The book he pressed was a secret panel in the wall and he beckoned Ranma to follow him as he walked into the dark passage.  
  
"Please follow me, Lord Wild Horse."   
  
Ranma was a bit hesitant of following this man he had known for just a few minutes, but decided that he could be trusted as followed him. Ranma was walking for nearly ten minutes along the secret dark and winding corridor while keeping Veriak in his sight, just in case if this was a trap.  
  
"How long do we have to keep walking?" asked Ranma, almost exhausted and feeling as if he'd been walking for miles.  
  
"Patience my Lord, we are nearly there," replied Veriak.   
  
They continued walking up a steep staircase to a small wooden door. Veriak pressed a secret catch, causing the wooden door to open slowly. Veriak beckoned Ranma to enter the room. Ranma took a minute to try to determine if this was trap, but his Kai senses told him it wasn't. Ranma entered the room, which turned out to be a plushly decorated bedroom with a huge marble bath that took up one entire corner.  
  
"Lord Wild Horse, you may refresh yourself here while I seek an audience with the King." Veriak bowed deeply and walked out through the main door.   
  
'What a stroke of luck,' Ranma thought, knowing full well that he was very lucky to even see the king.  
  
Ranma took the time to clean himself up as he had been on the road for days. He knew he needed a bath because right now he stank. After getting the bath ready, Ranma dunked himself into the hot water.  
  
'Ahhh, I wonder how is my brother doing? I do hope that he is all right,' thought Ranma as he let the soothing water relax his tense muscles. Ranma started to drift off to sleep for a while.   
  
An hour later  
  
After Ranma had finished with the bath, he looked at his clothing, noticing that it was most unsuitable to wear in front of the king. The Kai clothes that he wore were dirty and had many holes in them. Deciding to find something more appropriate, he chose a white robe that been left on a marble table.   
  
'This is not me,' Ranma thought as he looked in the mirror at the white robe with a golden sash he was wearing.  
  
Then Ranma heard a knock on the door.  
  
"Lord Wild Horse, Are you ready to see the King?" Ranma instantly recognised the voice as Veriak's.  
  
"Yes of course," replied Ranma.  
  
As Ranma left the lavish room to follow the Veriak, he was led along a long corridor lined with exquisite tapestries and pictures. Ranma finally arrived at a large door guarded by two soldiers wearing silver armour. Veriak walked up to one of the guards and whispered to him.  
  
The guard nodded and allowed Ranma and Veriak into the chamber.  
  
As Ranma entered the chamber of state, the magnificent hall awed him with its lavish decorations in white and gold. It was all decked out with beautiful and expensive hangings from all corners of Magnamund. Near the throne area of the hall was the King and his closet advisors. The king looked tired and was listening carefully to them.  
  
'That must be him,' thought Ranma, guessing correctly that the king was the person wearing the regal clothing and crown as Veriak announced his presence.  
  
The King and his closest advisors were currently studying a large map spread upon a marble plinth in the centre of the chamber. Hearing Veriak's announcement, the King and his advisors looked up to see Ranma and asked him to explain what had happened.  
  
As Ranma told his story of the death of his kinsman and of his perilous journey to the citadel, empty silence filled the hall and their faces were lined with worry and concentration. After Ranma had finished his story, the king walked up to Ranma and took his hand in his.  
  
"Wild Horse, you have selfless courage: the quality of a true Kai Lord. Your journey here has been one of great peril and, although your news comes as a grievous blow, the spirit of determination is like a beacon of hope to us all in this dark hour. You have brought great honour to the memory of your Masters, and for that we praise you."  
  
After the King had finished speaking, Ranma received praises and heartfelt thanks of the entire hall, an honour that brought a certain redness to Ranma's face as he wasn't used to this much attention. The King raised his hand and all the voices ceased immediately.  
  
"You have done all that Sommerlund could have asked of a son, but she is greatly in need of you still. The Darklords are powerful once more and their ambition knows no bounds. Our only hopes lies with Durenor with the power that once defeated the Darklords an age ago."  
  
Then the King's face took on a serious expression.  
  
Wild Horse, I know that you are not from this province as you are not from this world."   
  
This caused voices to be spread around the hall about this sudden revelation that the king has revealed. Ranma was quite surprised that the King knew his true origins.  
  
"How did you know?" asked Ranma, wondering who had told the king.   
  
The King smiled and called for one of his advisors to bring something. The person nodded and quickly returned with what the king had requested. After a few minutes, he came back with an ancient tome and started to read out a paragraph of the ancient text.  
  
"'A Lord of the Kai will come, but not one born of this world as he is the chosen one of the Gods. Possessing unrivalled skill in both magic and combat, he shall reach the next level of perfection; he is the betrothed one of the Goddess of mischief.'  
  
"''He shall be one of the three that will be the key to bringing everlasting peace to Magnamund.'  
  
"'With him will be a mighty wizard possessing magical powers unmatched in all of Magnamund.'  
  
"'A mighty warrior and brother will also aid this Lord of the Kai, and he shall possess a weapon equal unto the Sword of the Sun.'  
  
"'The trio shall drive back the Darkness and be protectors of all of Magnamund and other worlds.'"  
  
Ranma was completely surprised by this revelation, as were the rest of the people in the hall. Subconsciously Ranma was wondering whom the other two were that were mentioned in the text.  
  
"You see Lord Wild Horse, I believe that you are indeed the Lord that is spoken of in the ancient text. Your former master Wise Heart informed me that you had taken the vows and oath of the Order of the Kai and are recognised as a warrior of the Kai. When one of my advisors told me that the Kai Lords had accepted a foreigner as one of them, I instantly knew that the prophecy had begun.  
  
"Wild Horse, you are the last warrior of the Kai - you and only you have the skills and abilities to succeed against Naar and the Darklords. I am asking you to accept this dangerous mission to Durenor and return to us with the Sommerswerd - the Sword of the Sun. Only with that gift of the gods may we crush this evil and save our lands. Will you accept?"  
  
"Yes my King. As a warrior of the Kai, by my affirmation to Sommerlund and Kai, I accept," Ranma proudly said. With that there was uproar of cheering and praise at the bravery and courage of this foreign looking warrior.   
  
Ranma was trying to ask another question, but due to the noise created by the people in the hall, he was unable. Eventually, the King saw this and raised his hand to silence the crowd.  
  
"Yes, Wild Horse do you want to ask me something?"  
  
"Yes I do my King. There is another Kai warrior who survived the attack. He stayed behind to protect your son at the Alema Bridge while I came to deliver you the message. I am wondering if you know what has happened to him?" asked Ranma, he was eager to help his brother.  
  
The expressions of the King and his advisors were of sadness and there was again that deathly silence in the hall. It was some minutes before one of the King's advisors spoke up. This really caused Ranma to worry about his brother; he had a bad feeling about this.  
  
"It has been reported in the last twenty four hours that the Alema Bridge has been overrun by the Darklords' forces and there were no survivors reported. The evil forces are marching toward our city. I am sorry for your loss Wild Horse."  
  
"Thanks for the news," Ranma said as he tried to hold back his sadness and tears at the news.   
  
"I know your pain Wild Horse as I have also lost someone important to me. Was this Kai Lord someone important to you?" the King said to help Ranma with his loss.  
  
"He was my brother. May I go now your majesty?" Ranma asked. The King nodded to allow him to leave.  
  
Ranma tried to put on a brave face for the sake of the morale of the people in the hall as he left the chamber of state. He still had hope that his brother was alive despite the recent reports from the king's advisors. He then followed Veriak from the hall.  
  
Tomorrow Ranma would leave Sommerlund to return to Durenor. He would do this for his brother and his kin and he would not fail. He would bring back the sword of the Sun to Sommerlund to vanquish the evil.  
  
TBC...  
  
*** 


	11. Chapter 8

Ranma/Lone Wolf Crossover Fanfiction  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma 1/2 or the Lone Wolf Series or any other characters. The rights to Ranma 1/2 belong to Rumiko Takahashi and for the Lone Wolf Series Joe Dever. This story is created solely for entertainment purposes and no profit as gained from this.   
  
Note.  
Kai Names:  
* Ranma Stormgard (Saotome) - Wild Horse  
* Braxus Stormgard - Swift Blade  
  
Wild Horse of Kai  
  
By Montymouse  
  
' ' - Thought  
" " - Speech  
  
Chapter Eight - Journey to Hammerdal  
  
***  
  
Sommerlund - Holmgard  
  
It was dawn in Holmgard as reports of the Darklord's armies marching towards the capital spread. Also the news that the Lords of the Kai had been totally destroyed had spread fear and panic among the local population. All their hopes now rested on a certain pigtailed warrior of Kai as he prepared to take the long and arduous journey from Holmgard to Durenor's capital city: Hammerdal. There was no doubt in people's minds that this journey would be extremely dangerous, as agents would surely stop at nothing to prevent Ranma from succeeding.  
  
In one of the many rooms of the King's Citadel, we see Ranma quietly in prayer as he hopes for success in bringing peace to his adopted home world. He also gave a silent prayer to all those who had died, but Ranma refused to believe that his brother had died at the Battle of Alema Bridge. The reports that he had received from the King's advisors were that the defenders at the bridge were heavily outnumbered as no reinforcements could reach them in time.   
  
After half an hour, Ranma had finished with his mediation and prayer and gathered his things in a small backpack, save for his sword that he had taken from the royal armoury. Normally Ranma wouldn't use weapons, preferring to use his martial arts to defeat his opponents, but there were times where a sword would come in handy; and there were some creatures he wouldn't touch with his bare hands. He slipped on a chainmail waistcoat under his green tunic as a precaution as it offered some protection and flexibility, and was lighter than full plated armour. Chainmail would definitely be suitable for the journey. Strapping his sword made of the finest steel in Sommerlund to his waist and his money pouch to his belt, Ranma then put on his grey Kai cloak, buckled by a Kai emblem of a horse. Checking that the Seal of Hammerdal in his front pocket was still there, Ranma was ready to take on the journey back to Durenor.   
  
Walking down the corridor of the King's citadel, Ranma was greeted by Lords, Knights, noblemen and clergy all wishing him good luck. They thought it would encourage Ranma to succeed in his quest to Durenor; but in reality all it really did was add more pressure on his shoulders which he really didn't want. The King's words kept coming back to Ranma.  
  
"Forty Days, Wild Horse. We have the strength to stand against them for forty days."   
  
Remembering his oath and promise to Kai and his fellow brothers, Ranma was determined to succeed. He proudly marched down to the end of the corridor to see Captain D'Val waiting for him.  
  
"Wild Horse, are you ready?" asked Captain D'Val.  
  
Ranma nodded and Captain D'Val and his men led him to the citadel gates. Looking outside as he was being led, he could see Holmgard's defenders saluting him along the wall.  
  
Near the gates was a small covered wagon. Captain D'Val then turned around and spoke to Ranma   
  
"Wild Horse, we will secretly transport you to your ship which is stationed in our harbour, and from there the ship will take you the rest of the way to Durenor. Do you understand?" Captain D'Val instructed.  
  
"Of course captain," Ranma said. D'Val nodded as he lifted the cover to allow Ranma to clamber in, and before he covered the wagon again, he managed to speak to Ranma for one last time.  
  
"Wild Horse, you know the importance of your mission and that we can only hold out for forty days?" D'Val said.  
  
"Yes, I do. Rest assured that I will return with the Sommerswerd," Ranma said as he tried making himself comfortable in the wagon without making it too oblivious that he was inside.  
  
"Good. My men and I have complete confidence that you will succeed. May the gods be with you." Captain D'Val grinned as he closed the cover over the wagon.  
  
The citadel gates were thrown open as Ranma was led to Holmgard's harbour where his ship would be.  
  
Soon the wagon stopped and the driver of the wagon pulled open the canvas flap.  
  
"This is the quay, my lord. There is your ship, the Green Sceptre," the Driver spoke as he pointed across the quay to a sleek trade caravel anchored near to the harbour wall.  
  
"The first mate's name is Ronan. You will find him waiting for across the square at the Good Cheer Inn."  
  
"Thanks," Ranma said as he climbed out of the wagon and made his way to the Good Cheer Inn.  
  
After finding the inn, Ranma felt something was wrong with the situation. The window shutters were barred making it quite dark, and there were barely any customers. Ranma noticed a sailor sitting across the room and walked over to speak with him.   
  
"Are you Ronan?" Ranma asked but got no response.  
  
"Hey are you listening?" Ranma reached for the sailor's shoulder, but was quite shocked that his skin was cold.   
  
Rushing up to him, Ranma found that this was indeed Ronan, but he had a jagged looking knife stuck in his back. Sensing this was all a trap; Ranma got up to leave when the front door of the inn was slammed shut by a person hidden in the shadows. Two more thugs appeared behind the bar.  
  
"I don't think you are going anywhere, Kai Lord," the thug threatened as he approached Ranma brandishing a sharp looking shortsword while his accomplices brandished daggers.  
  
In Ranma's experience, these three thugs' skill levels were laughable, but that didn't mean that he would go easy on them: they were the ones who murdered Ronan. Not wanting to kill them as he wanted to question them first, Ranma used his martial arts which soon turned the fight into a bar room brawl.  
  
Thug number one was sent crashing thought table by a swift roundhouse kick to the head.  
  
Thug number two was thrown through the window, but cracked his head on the metal bars that Ranma had forgotten barred the windows of the inn.   
  
The leader was cornered as he tried to stab Ranma with his shortsword and was disarmed in a blink of eye, being thrown across the bar and then picked up and thrown again, breaking more tables.  
  
'I hope the owner of this inn has insurance.' Ranma thought wryly as he picked up the leader and pinned him against the wall.  
  
The leader tried to punch him with his brass knuckles, so Ranma broke his arm to prevent him.  
  
"Tell me, who sent you?" Ranma demanded having noticed that the other two thugs had abandoned their leader and escaped through the back way.  
  
"Screw you!" The Thug spat at Ranma's face. Ranma retaliated by throwing him through a glass cabinet, then picked him and questioned him again.  
  
"This is the last time, who sent you?" Ranma demanded as he tightened his grip around the leader's throat.  
  
"Alright, alright already, I'll talk just stop the hurting please," the leader cried out.  
  
"Who was it that sent you to kill me?"  
  
"He just told me that he would pay me a lot of money to kill you. I think his name was..." The leader suddenly stopped speaking, tensed up and collapsed.  
  
Ranma checked his pulse and found that he was dead. He could not work out what had killed him, but sensed foul magic was at work.  
  
Checking the body, Ranma found a tattoo of a serpent of his left wrist and he knew that whoever sent them to kill him must already know of his quest. Making a mental note of the design for future reference, Ranma got up and looked around the destroyed inn. Not wanting to be found with the dead thug, Ranma left the Good Cheer Inn and made his way to the Green Sceptre, which was anchored about three hundred yards from the harbour wall.   
  
***  
  
Five minutes later, Ranma was onboard the Green Sceptre.  
  
Ranma started to explain briefly what had happened to the captain of the ship, who was a tall man dressed in a gold braided uniform. His face was almost totally covered by a shock of bright red hair and a bright red beard. Ranma almost called the captain 'Redbeard' by accident because of his appearance. He told the captain that his first mate had been ambushed and murdered by a gang of thugs.   
  
"Haul anchor!" The captain shouted as Ranma finished his explanation, and the crew sprang into action as if their very lives depended on it. The captain introduced himself as Captain Kelman and led Ranma to his cabin, making straight for his drink cabinet.  
  
"Drink, Wild Horse," Kelman said as took out a bottle from his cabinet.  
  
"No thanks." Ranma politely declined the captain's offer.  
  
"You don't know what you are missing," he said as he poured himself a large glass of the spirit.  
  
Ranma then started to explain in detail about what has happened. As he continued, Ranma noticed the captain's expression showed concern.  
  
"There is evil treachery at work and the enemy already has plans afoot to thwart your quest." He then took a sip of his drink.  
  
"It seems that you have lost the element of surprise. I have lost a courageous first mate. Let us hope that the voyage to Durenor be swift and safe." Kelman then drank the rest of the drink in one swig.  
  
Ranma then followed the captain out onto the deck. Ranma was just in time to see the outline of Holmgard on the horizon. Ranma was beginning to feel a sense of pride mixed with his apprehension as he went below deck to his cabin, just as the last spire of the capital disappeared from his view.  
  
***  
  
Three uneventful days at sea have passed, and we see Ranma sitting on the railing of the Green Sceptre.  
  
For three days, Ranma was bored. There wasn't very much he could do apart from practising his martial arts and swordmanship, and Ranma was becoming very good with the sword. Sometimes he would join the sailors below decks to play a game of cards and, for a change, Ranma won most of the games played thanks to Dancing Hawk's tutoring. Most of the day, Ranma just sat on the railing watching the horizon, thinking about the recent events, mainly about the Darklord's invasion, his brother's fate, the destruction of the Kai order, the mission to Hammerdal and now someone being out to kill him.  
  
'It can't get any worse?' Ranma thought until he smelled smoke seeping from the hold.  
  
"Fire in the hold!" Ranma shouted.  
  
The ship was thrown into a frenzy of activity as sailors grabbed their buckets and blankets with which to fight the fire. Ranma joined in with the sailors' attempts to put out the fire as flames roared through the hatch cover while they attempted to control the fire before it spread across the hold of the ship; otherwise they would have to abandon ship.   
  
After an hour, Ranma and the sailors managed to put out the fire. The damage to the ship was great; the entire store of food and fresh water had been destroyed and the midsection of the ship was badly weakened.   
  
The captain then appeared from out of the smoking hold and approached Ranma, his face black with soot. Ranma noticed something in a bundle under his arm.  
  
"We must talk in private, my Lord," he said quietly.  
  
Ranma nodded and followed the captain to his cabin.  
  
Entering the cabin, the Captain asked Ranma to shut the door while he went to his washbowl and washed the soot off his face. On the table was the bundle that the captain had been carrying. Ranma was wondering what was in the bundle, so he walked over to it and carefully opened the mysterious bundle, tipping the contents onto the table. What came out of the bundle were a large charred earthenware jug and several blackened rags. Ranma could immediately smell a strange oily scent.  
  
"Do you know what this means?" the captain said as he finished cleaning himself up.  
  
"That the fire was no accident," Ranma replied.  
  
"Correct. This was an act of sabotage. Someone is trying to make sure that you do not reach Durenor. We are three days sail from Port Bax, and if luck is on our side we should reach our destination. With strong winds and a stout heart, we'll drop anchor and feast there in two," Kelman said as he sat behind his table. He pulled out another bottle of spirit and poured out another cup.  
  
"What is the damage?" Ranma said as he pulled up a chair.  
  
"The place where the fire took place was in the forward hold: the food store. As I found this oily jug and these soaked rags upon the floor, I have added a guard on our limited supply to prevent the saboteur from trying to finish his mission."   
  
"Do you who is responsible?" Ranma asked the captain, but he shook his head.  
  
"I do not know, my Lord. I suggest that you should get some rest as we are all exhausted."  
  
Ranma nodded as he got up and went to his cabin.  
  
***  
  
Ranma's cabin  
  
Everyone was asleep apart from the sailors who were on night-watch duty. The crew slept in the hold while Ranma and the captain were in their respective cabins. So far the watchman had reported nothing and all was quiet except...  
  
The door to Ranma's cabin opened very slowly so no sound was heard and a shadowy figure stepped in. Seeing that its intended target was fast asleep, he crept forward slowly, the dagger reflecting the moonlight.   
  
Creeping slowly, the shadowy figure reached the bed and began stabbing at the target repeatedly; but something was wrong. No blood was appearing on the bed sheet or on the dagger. The figure immediately threw back the bedcover to reveal not Ranma, but a couple of pillows and a bundle of clothes. Then the assassin felt a tap on his shoulder.  
  
'Oh crap!' He spun around in time to see an incoming fist heading for his face.  
  
SMACK!  
  
Ranma's assassin was immediately knocked out by Ranma's punch. Soon the lights were lit, and Captain Kelman and some of his crew came barging into Ranma's cabin, weapons drawn.  
  
"My Lord, what has happened?" the captain asked as he saw Ranma standing over one of his sailors.  
  
"This sailor tried to kill me in my sleep and here is the evidence." Ranma crouched down and showed to the captain the tattoo of a serpent on the sailor's wrist.  
  
The captain nodded and ordered his men to tie the traitor up to be interrogated later.   
  
"How did you know that the culprit would attempt to kill you?" Kelman asked  
  
"I didn't, but you get used to it when you have a couple of death threats on your head," Ranma said.  
  
"Come with me, my lord. Let us see what our traitor can tell us."  
  
Ranma nodded and followed the captain to where the prisoner was being held.  
  
After a couple of hours of interrogating the captive, they found out that his mission was to kill the Kai Lord or to prevent the ship from reaching Durenor. But before he could reveal the identity of his employer, he died in the same way as the thug at the Good Cheer Inn.   
  
Later, Kelman asked Ranma to join him for an evening meal to lift their spirits after recent events. Ranma agreed, as he was feeling a bit hungry. The meal wasn't much of a meal by Ranma's standards as it was made up of yesterday's leftovers.  
  
'At least the meal is edible considering what we had to work with. Anyway it could be worse... far, far worse," Ranma thought as he began to pick at his food.  
  
***  
  
Ranma's home dimension  
  
A certain tomboy sneezed.  
  
Kasumi Tendo was ill so she couldn't make tonight's meal.  
  
Nabiki Tendo had already left mysteriously.  
  
Happosai was nowhere to be seen.   
  
Guess who was in the kitchen?  
  
SO that left Genma and Soun to taste her 'Cooking'.  
  
"Err... Soun old buddy, why is your youngest daughter fighting with her 'cooking'?" Genma asked.  
  
Soun just sweatdropped; he wasn't looking forward to this.   
  
***  
  
"I have a confession to make, Kai Lord. The fire destroyed our entire food store. We have barely enough in the galley for this meal. I am sorry if the meal does not meet up to your standards. I fear that we will have to survive on a diet of fresh fish until we reach Port Bax."  
  
"There's no need to be sorry Captain Kelman. I don't mind really. At least it's a healthy diet," Ranma said, trying to lighten up the situation. Both Ranma and Kelman started to laugh.  
  
"I must admire your spirit, my Lord. I just hope nothing else would goes wrong."   
  
Ranma nodded as they continued to eat their meal. After dinner, the captain challenged Ranma to a couple of games of Samor, a board game a little like chess involving skilful strategy and bluff. Ranma did win a couple of games, but it was oblivious that Captain Kelman was an expert. Nevertheless, Ranma's quick learning of how to play the game impressed him; this was the first time Ranma had played Samor.  
  
As dawn broke, a fierce storm rose and the violent rocking of the ship awoke Ranma. The floor of cabin was awash and the shouts of the crew could hardly be heard above the howling winds. Sensing that the crew was having difficulties with the storm, Ranma immediately got dressed and equipped before he made he way above deck.  
  
Ranma soon joined the captain.  
  
"Captain, what is the problem?" Ranma shouted as the noise of storm was making communication difficult.  
  
"My Lord, get down below decks now! We've handled storms like this before so there is no need to worry."  
  
Suddenly, a huge wave appeared and crashed down on the Green Sceptre, pushing Ranma into the sea before he had the chance to get below decks.  
  
"MAN OVERBOARD!" was the last thing Ranma heard before he was knocked out.  
  
***  
  
Somewhere in the Gulf of Durenor  
  
The storm eventually passed as the seas returned to their normal calm state. In the clear blue sea, there was nothing except for a broken mast, but as we look closer we can see that Ranma is unconscious but still holding tightly onto the mast as if his life depended on it.  
  
The sun was beating down on Ranma as he continued to drift aimlessly across the vast oceans. It was many hours before Ranma was able to regain consciousness.  
  
'Where am I?' Ranma thought, still dizzy and disoriented. 'Last thing I remember was being thrown overboard during that the storm.'  
  
Judging by the sun's position, it was currently in the afternoon, and on the horizon, Ranma could see land. The only trace of the Green Sceptre was the mast that Ranma had been holding on to. Seeing the land, Ranma made a break for it, but not before giving a silent prayer for Captain Kelman and his crew.   
  
The distance between where he was and land wasn't too difficult to cross. He had swum the distance between Japan and China so it wasn't really a problem. Eventually after an hour or so of non-stop swimming, Ranma finally reached the beach. He dug his fingers deep into the wet sand and slowly but surely clawed his way up to the shelter of some dunes. He then fell asleep and it was a few hours before he regained enough strength to wake up.  
  
Ranma had no clue where he was, but continued to walk along the lonely coast road before night began to fall. Ranma had managed to find some food from Larnuma trees so he wasn't so hungry anymore. For over five hours Ranma kept walking along the road which, judging from his surroundings, was probably in the region known as the Wildlands.  
  
'It can't get any worse. First I was attacked, then shipwrecked and now walking across these barren wastelands,' Ranma thought as he used his Kai cloak to wrap around him to keep himself warm.  
  
Then it rained.  
  
"Great, that's all I need!" Ranma muttered as he continued to walk soaking wet and cold.  
  
Looking along the coast road, in the distance Ranma could see a wagon heading toward him. Seeing that he may pick up a lift, Ranma flagged down the wagon as it approached him. When the wagon came closer, he noticed it was a large passenger carriage, similar to those used by the highway travellers of Sommerlund. The driver pulled the horse to a halt and stared at Ranma from under the wide brim of his hat.  
  
"Where are you heading?" Ranma asked.  
  
"We're bound for Ragadorn. We will be there by noon today. A seat will cost you 3 Gold Crowns, but you can ride on the roof for only one," the coachman said.  
  
Luckily Ranma still retained his money pouch and paid three Gold Crowns. His feet were killing him after walking for so long. The driver nodded and pointed to the rear of the carriage where Ranma should enter. Ranma found that it was warm and dry, which made a change from walking through the wet and cold.  
  
After six hours of travelling across the wasteland, Ranma fell asleep totally exhausted from his journey. He was woken up as he heard a bell tolling in the distance and looking out; Ranma could see the old city walls of Ragadorn. The coach passed through the west gate and pulled to a halt. He then got off the coach and started to find the next coach station that would lead him to Port Bax. From the directions he received from the old women, Ranma headed south along the East Bank Wall.   
  
Ten minutes later after walking through rat infested streets and crossing the Ragadorn Bridge, Ranma finally made it to the rubbish-strewn thoroughfare known as East Trade Lane where he could continue the rest of his journey to Durenor. After paying the coachman all the money he had on him, Ranma bought a ticket and was led by the coachman to the coach that was waiting near the east gate of the seaport.   
  
"I must be early." Ranma saw that the coach was empty right now.   
  
Taking a seat, he waited patiently for the rest of the passengers to arrive. Stowing his equipment beneath his seat, but keeping his weapon concealed in his cloak just in case, he waited. It wasn't long before five more passengers arrived. Then Ranma heard the coachman calling that he was about to leave the city of Ragadorn to indicate that the journey had begun.   
  
After half an hour, Ranma was sitting quietly talking to a nice young woman called Viveka to pass the time, as the journey would take quite some time. She was a mercenary adventuress and was going to Port Bax to claim her bounty after a success in Ragadorn. Ranma also knew who the rest of the passengers were. Sitting opposite Ranma were two knights of the order of the White Mountain, Ganon and Dorier, Halvorc the merchant, who looked like he had been badly beaten up, and Parsion, a Sommlending priest who was sitting by himself in the far corner of the coach. Ranma just said he was a foreigner visiting Port Bax to go back to his home country, as he didn't really want to reveal his true identity.   
  
The journey to Port Bax had been an uneventful trip as for two days the coach followed the trade route across the flat, treeless Wildlands, only stopping at coastal inns so that the driver and the passengers could get some rest.   
  
The next morning there was a dreadful accident involving the death of the coachman when they were travelling along a narrow section of coast road following a dizzy course beneath high, overhanging cliffs. As Viveka and Ranma were helping the coachman remove a large rock from the path, a boulder crashed down from the overhanging cliff, killing the Driver and narrowly missing Viveka, who Ranma just saved in time, missing them by less than six feet. Ranma at first thought it was a natural accident, but his senses told him that someone was on the cliff, and the coachman wasn't the intended victim; Ranma was.  
  
Everyone was shocked with the death of the coachman apart from the priest who was sweating nervously. Ranma thought he was acting a bit strange, but dismissed it, for now, as they had to bury the coachman. Halvorc volunteered to drive the coach to the next town, to which the other nodded and continued but were still shocked by the death of the coachman.   
  
***  
  
As Ranma got off the coach, he noticed that he was in a small coastal village known as Gorn Cove, which was mainly populated by outcasts, thieves and Szalls. Dorier was trying his best to explain to the crowd that there had been a terrible accident involving the coachman. The rest of the passengers decided to rest at an inn called the Forlorn Hope where they could decide what they were going to do. Ranma was given the key to his room by the innkeeper and was told by Dorier to meet up with the rest of them in the bar in an hour. Entering his room, he noticed that it wasn't really furnished, having only a bed and a small bedside table. Deciding to rest, Ranma placed his weapon next to the bed, removed his cloak and sat down on the bed.  
  
As he was lying down on his back, Ranma couldn't help thinking that the intended victim of the attack was supposed to be him rather that the poor coachman. Almost an hour had gone by, and Ranma was starting to feel hungry; he hadn't eaten for quite some time. Someone knocked on the door. Wondering whom it was Ranma got up and opened the door.  
  
It was the innkeeper, carrying a hot meal on a tray.  
  
"With the compliments of one of your friends," the innkeeper said as he handed Ranma the food.  
  
Ranma's mouth was watering, and the food smelled most appetising. Ranma was about to tuck in when he noticed that there were a few drops of clear liquid on the side of the plate and another on the tray. At first Ranma thought it was only water, but it was quite sticky. Ranma recognised it as the sap from the gnadurn tree, which was a deadly poison, used by assassins because of its lack of flavour or scent.   
  
Ranma wasn't really surprised by this discovery. He had expected something of this sort would happen, but he knew he had to act fast otherwise the assassin would escape.   
  
'Poison,' Ranma thought as he expression turned from shock to anger.  
  
Grabbing his sword, he rushed out of the room. By the time he reached the bar, all the others were seated at a large table waiting for Ranma to appear.  
  
'Who is it?' Ranma thought, knowing he had only one shot at nailing his assassin.  
  
Ranma decided to attack Parsion. He had acted very suspiciously, but that wasn't the reason. It was because he was able to sense something very dark emitting from the priest which was highly unusual. The priest didn't seem to be surprised by Ranma's sudden attack, and he drew out a black sword from beneath his robes. Ranma caught a glimpse of the serpent tattoo on Parsion's wrist as he wielded his black blade.  
  
After a brief fight, Ranma had mortally wounded the priest who was currently staggering towards the wall, trying to get up. Ranma walked up to him and demanded, "Who sent you?" as he levelled his blade against his throat.  
  
"You expect me to answer that? Go to hell!" the priest spat out as he suddenly leaned forward, impaling himself on Ranma's sword.  
  
"You first," Ranma whispered as he removed his sword.  
  
Ranma found the evidence to prove that he was indeed the assassin. Inside his pockets he found a half-empty vial of gnadurn sap, the deadly poison that was used to try to poison him. Also there was a scroll written in Giak, giving details of Ranma's journey to Port Bax. Ranma noticed the weapon Parsion was carrying was a Darklord blade fashioned of black steel and forged in the furnaces of Helgedad. Everyone in the room was shocked with disbelief at Ranma's sudden actions.   
  
As he was about to explain to everyone what he had found when he heard the heavy footsteps of an armoured soldier led by the innkeeper, who was screaming at Ranma that he was a murderer and ordering the soldier to arrest him. Seeing that the soldier wouldn't listen to Ranma's explanation, he bolted through the back door, closely pursued by the town guards.  
  
He saw a horse that was outside the inn; Ranma recognised it as a means of escape, quickly riding out of the village.  
  
***  
  
Escaping from the inn due to a misunderstanding, Ranma had to flee the town. He could not waste time being struck in a cell. It wasn't his fault that someone was trying to kill him, but considering that his assassin was disguised as a priest it would be difficult for Ranma to talk his way out. Even with the evidence he had found on the body the town guards would not have believed him.  
  
It was getting dark as he travelled across the barren wastelands of the Wildlands. Ranma estimated that he was about two hundred miles from the border of Durenor. The problem was that Ranma had only enough time to escape with what he had been carrying, his sword and the Seal of Hammerdal. This meant that Ranma had no provisions with him. This normally wouldn't have been a problem as Ranma could use his Kai skill of Hunting to search for food, and would have been fine if he was anywhere else but here. The Wildlands was a harsh place where very little survived.  
  
According to what Ranma had learnt from his Kai lessons, the Wildlands were formerly a part of the country of Cloeasia. This region was laid to waste during the formation of the Maakengorge and the subsequent geological upheaval.  
  
'At least it's not quite a desert. Might as well find a place to camp,' Ranma thought, looking for somewhere he could camp for the night. He and his horse was feeling tired after galloping halfway across the plains.  
  
Finding a suitable campsite in nearby rocky area, Ranma decided that he would continue the rest of his journey to the Durenese border at first light. Finding a suitable place to rest - he had even left his bedroll back at the Forlorn Hope - Ranma had to rough it with his cloak as a blanket. Ranma tried to get some sleep during the night but kept tossing and turning as visions of death and destruction kept plaguing his dreams. Suddenly Ranma woke up in a cold sweat, awoken by an inhuman screeching in the distance.  
  
Sensing danger, Ranma got up and grabbed his sword as he looked around for the source of the noise. The inhuman screeching suddenly stopped and all was silent again. Dismissing the screeching as nothing, Ranma turned back to the camp when he heard someone approaching. Turning around, Ranma could just make out the humanoid shape of what was coming.  
  
Ranma was sensing something very wrong with this situation. His horse was beginning to make loud noises, which Ranma could understand through his Animal Kinship; it was very nervous of this stranger. Seeing this could be a possible threat, Ranma gripped his sword in readiness but did not take up an offensive stance, as he didn't want to display the wrong message to the stranger.  
  
Soon the stranger was close enough for Ranma to see who it was by the smouldering remains of his campfire. Ranma breathed a sign of relief that it wasn't an evil creature as he had first expected, but it was a human.  
  
"Hi friend, what brings you out here in the Wildlands?" Ranma asked the stranger.   
  
The stranger said nothing and kept walking towards Ranma.  
  
Ranma was beginning to feel uneasy about this situation and unsheathed his sword, pointing it at the stranger. His senses were telling him that this human was not what he appeared to be.  
  
"Who are you? Don't take another step or you'll regret it!" Ranma threatened.  
  
The stranger smirked an evil grin as it started to change its shape. Ranma immediately stepped back in horror as the stranger started to change into something far, far worse than anything he had encountered before. The skin of his face appeared to writhe and change colour, growing darker and shrinking as it decayed on his skull. His eyes burned with a bright red glow and long fangs protruded from his bottom jaw.   
  
Ranma immediately felt dizzy and disorientated as the creature was attacking him with a powerful mindforce. The creature then leapt towards the disoriented, helpless human with its sharp claw-like hands outstretched to kill him. Ranma managed to recover from the mental attack by using his Kai skill of Mindshield and sidestepped to avoid him.  
  
'Thanks Storm Hawk, wherever you are.' Ranma gave thanks to his former tutor, as he would have been defenseless without his Mindshield; probably dead.   
  
Ranma realised it was a Helghast, a nightmarish agent of the Darklords, and knew that his sword wouldn't even harm it as only magic and magical weapons could harm it. Ranma was in serious trouble, as he had neither magic nor any magical weapon available to him. Trying to avoid the Helghast's reach, Ranma tried to attack it with his sword but each time he landed a blow, it seemed unconcerned with the wounds it was receiving. Its goal was to kill Ranma.   
  
In an act of desperation, Ranma threw his sword like a spear, hoping that it would stop the Helghast dead in its tracks like it had with the Vordak. His Weaponskill made sure that the sword hit its target. The sword pieced its decaying chest through and it fell backwards due to the sudden impact of Ranma's sword impaling it.  
  
Thinking that the Helghast was dead, Ranma sat down on a large rock to regain his breath and calm his nerves as he had fought the Helghast both physically and mentally. Then Ranma heard a sudden groan behind him.  
  
Turning around, he could see that the Helghast was upright and it noticed the sword sticking out of its chest. Clutching the handle of the sword, it pulled it out cleanly and threw the sword away. It then got to its feet, intending to finish its job.  
  
'Oh no!' Ranma thought. He was unarmed and martial arts wouldn't do jack against an undead. He could not hurt an undead physically as it was already dead.  
  
He had only one option left, his special Chi technique that he had begun to develop at the monastery, but hadn't been able to make it work. Banedon tired to help Ranma with the development, but couldn't do much as it relied on Chi rather than magic. The Helghast had Ranma trapped against a sheer rock face and there was no way out except through the Helghast. The Helghast approached Ranma slowly.   
  
Then Ranma heard a voice in his head. It sounded as if someone was communicating to him telepathically, but he was unclear as to who it was. Ranma couldn't make it out as he had his Mindshield up to protect himself from the Helghast's mental attacks. Taking a risk, Ranma dropped his Mindshield in order hear more clearly what it was that they had been trying to tell him. Expecting the full impact of the Helghast's mind attack, Ranma was surprised when nothing happened, though he heard a distinct wise voice communicating mentally.  
  
*Ranma, I don't have much time as your life is in danger. Listen to me carefully.*   
  
Ranma listened to the voice; after all, he was out of options and there was something familiar about it, but Ranma couldn't place where he had heard it before. Ranma initially thought it was Ranko that had been trying to help him, but the voice was more masculine and wiser.  
  
'Err... Okay,' Ranma thought.  
  
*Clear your mind of everything. What I am going to do is transfer to you a technique that will aid you against this abomination.*  
  
Ranma was worried about the Helghast approaching him ever closer, but did what the voice was telling him. Clearing his mind of all thought, he allowed himself to be open, leaving himself vulnerable to mental attacks. Suddenly a wave of information flooded through Ranma's mind telling him how to actually perform the special Chi technique that he had been trying to develop all this time.  
  
Once the initial headache due to the sudden wave of information was gone, Ranma looked up at the Helghast who was now just a few metres in front of him. He smirked as he cupped his palms together as though it was second nature to him, and shouted something as a blue ball started to form in his hands.  
  
"Möko Takabisha!"  
  
The blue ball shot out from Ranma's hands and sent the Helghast sprawling across the ground with a large hole in its chest.   
  
"It works! It really works!" Ranma was about to celebrate his success, but a sudden thought came to his mind.  
  
'Maybe it's not dead?' Ranma looked over to see the body of the Helghast remaining motionless.  
  
Not taking any chances or waiting for it to get up and attack him again, Ranma gathered his belongings and his sword. He then got on his horse and galloped away far, far away from the undead creature.  
  
The funny thing about the technique that he just performed was that he couldn't remember how the hell he actually did it. For that brief moment it felt as if he had known the move for ages, but right now he couldn't remember. It was almost as if someone had erased the technique from his mind. The only part he did remember was the words that he had said.  
  
'Möko Takabisha, are you confident enough to face a fierce tiger?' Ranma thought as he continued to gallop across the Wildlands.  
  
***  
  
Near the Border of Durenor  
  
After the incident at Ragadorn and the dreaded encounter with the Helghast last night, Ranma decided that to avoid future dangers, he should ride all night long without sleep until he reached the border of Durenor. Ranma travelled across the Wildlands, until he saw something that he was glad to see: the landscape started to change dramatically. The barren lands of the Wildlands soon gave way to the moors and waterlogged fens of fertile lands. A dark shadow ran the length of the eastern horizon for as far as the eye could see. Ranma instantly recognised the shadow as the woodlands of Durenor Forest, and to confirm his suspicions there was a wooden sign placed in the middle of a crossroad.  
  
*Port Bax - 50 miles*  
  
'I'm finally home,' Ranma thought as he was indeed in Durenor.   
  
The village that he had called his home wasn't far from here, roughly 30 miles from where Ranma was, but he couldn't waste time to visit his village; time was running out for Holmgard so he had to press on to Port Bax. Riding on his horse, Ranma headed into the thick forest of Durenor. After a few miles the path was becoming tangled and overgrown. Normally anyone would be lost in Durenor Forest for many hours at this time of day, but luckily Ranma was a skilled outdoor person, and it felt like familiar territory, similar to when he was on his training trip in China.   
  
Eventually Ranma had to get off his horse and make his own way through the forest on foot as he found it becoming more and more difficult to navigate through the forest as the path started to get narrower as he progress further through. After several hours of navigating through the forest, Ranma heard something moving in the nearby bushes and sensed that it wasn't the woodland creatures making that noise. Expecting it to be an ambush, Ranma slowly moved his left hand to rest on the hilt of his sword, pretending that nothing had happened and continuing on as normal.  
  
Using his martial arts and Sixth Sense, Ranma was able to tell that the mysterious person was near but waited until the person was close enough for him to strike. Listening carefully to the footsteps coming ever nearer, he waited until the mysterious person that been trailing him was just a metre away.  
  
Suddenly Ranma immediately spun around and unsheathed his sword to engage the person that had been following him all this time. A hooded person that was somewhat familiar to Ranma expertly blocked the strike with his sword. Ranma noticed that the person was dressed in a green and brown cloak and tunic so that it blended more with the forest surroundings better. Slung over his right shoulder was a quiver full of arrows and on his tunic was a circular badge that Ranma instantly recognised.  
  
It was the family crest of the Stormgard family.  
  
"It's good to see you have improved, son," the hooded ranger said.  
  
"Father, is that you?" Ranma asked with surprise as the hooded ranger pulled back his hood to reveal to reveal himself as his father, Jerek Stormgard.  
  
"Of course! What are you doing back here in Durenor? Me and your mother didn't really expected you to come back home for another six months," Jerek replied as he re-sheathed his sword.  
  
"I'm on a urgent mission father, I must see the King," Ranma said as he also sheathed his weapon.  
  
"I see. How important is mission may I ask?" Jerek said. Ranma showed him the Seal of Hammerdal to show the importance of his mission.   
  
Ranma then gave his father the bad news about what happened to the order of Kai and of the invasion of Sommerlund. The expression on Jerek's face went from astonishment to sadness, which was eventually replaced with a serious expression.  
  
"What are we waiting for? We must go with due haste, son," Jerek said.  
  
Ranma followed his father back to where he was currently camping and waited as he packed up his equipment and supplies to accompany Ranma to Port Bax. Jerek walked over to his horse's saddle and pulled out a cloth wrapped parcel.  
  
"Here Ranma catch. You must be hungry after your long trek?" Jerek said as he threw to Ranma the parcel.  
  
"Thanks, dad." Ranma caught the parcel with ease.  
  
Carefully opening the parcel, Ranma saw there was one of Oriah's homemade oatmeal cakes and a few pieces of dry meat with slices of cheese. He hastily ate up the food because firstly, Ranma had not eaten for quite sometime, and secondly, searching for food in the Wildlands was almost impossible. Feeling much better after eating the meal, Ranma gathered his things and his horse to set off, following Jerek through the dense forest of Durenor.  
  
Jerek knew the area of Durenor Forest like the back of his hand and led Ranma through by the quickest route. Without his father's guidance, Ranma would have taken a few hours longer even with his Kai discipline of Tracking; but Jerek knew all the dangers and shortcuts. Ranma would also have had to abandon his horse due to the difficult terrain, but Jerek found a way of dealing with that too. As they were walking, Ranma and his father started to have a small conversation to pass the time.  
  
"So Ranma, where is your brother?" Jerek asked, wondering what his other son was doing while Ranma was on this important mission.  
  
Ranma thought for a split second and decided not to tell about Braxus' fate until he was 100% sure that he knew what had happened to him.  
  
"Braxus, he is with the Prince of Sommerlund," Ranma said.  
  
"Prince Pelethar, son of King Ulnar V?"   
  
"Err... Yes how did you know?" Ranma asked his father who smirked at his questioning.   
  
"Ranma, before I met your mother Oriah and moved to Durenor, I was Jerek Stormgard, Commander of the Royal Arms of Sommerlund and bodyguard to the royal family of Ulnar," he stated proudly.  
  
Ranma was surprised by Jerek's statement about his past but it did provide answers to some of the questions that been nagging Ranma.  
  
'No wonder he's so good with the sword. And I thought he was just a simple border ranger,' Ranma thought as he remembered the difficult training regime with his father in swordmanship and their constant arguments.   
  
Jerek always said that in some situations relying on purely martial arts was not enough, but using weapons combined with his skill would always give him the extra edge in a life or death situation.   
  
"Father, why did you give up your position as commander?" asked Ranma, wanting to know more about his family history.  
  
"Ranma, let me tell you something about life. Once you meet someone special, you would give up everything to be with her and make her happy, so that's what I did with your mother Oriah. I followed my heart," Jerek said.   
  
Ranma nodded in acknowledgement as he took in his father's words of wisdom.   
  
"So have you met someone special yet?" Jerek asked.  
  
There was a moment of silence as Ranma started to look somewhere else to avoid answering his father's question.  
  
"So Ranma I take the silence as a yes?" teased Jerek.  
  
'Hmm... Ranma never acted like this before. He always seems confident in his abilities. Maybe he had found someone,' Jerek thought.  
  
"Dad!" Ranma hastily replied. Jerek started to laugh at his sudden shyness.  
  
'This is so embarrassing! At least he's is not as bad as Auntie Saria,' Ranma thought.  
  
"Alright son, I'll leave it at that. Anyway what is Braxus doing?" Jerek said to change the subject.  
  
"Protecting the Prince."   
  
"Acting as a Royal Bodyguard, very interesting," Jerek said, proud that his two sons were doing so well.  
  
"Dad, how long before we reach Port Bax?" Ranma asked, aware of his tiredness due to a lack of sleep. Ranma had been awake for quite some time now, as there always seemed to be someone out there, trying to kill him. Also, his feet were killing him.  
  
"Not long, just over this moor and we should be there," Jerek said as he pointed ahead.  
  
Five minutes later, Ranma and his father were heading north following the river as it ran parallel to the Rymerift, the rushing waters of which were said to be over one mile deep. In the distance, Ranma could spot with his keen eyesight a bridge that spanned the dark water at its narrowest point. A small hut with a flat roof had been erected in the centre, and on top of it stood two soldiers. A sign pointed across the bridge.  
  
*Port Bax*  
  
"Halt! Who wishes to enter Port Bax?" demanded one of the guards.  
  
"Hey Duncan, it's me Jerek Stormgard. How's the wife?" Jerek said to one of the guards. It took a while for the guard to recognise him due to the darkness.  
  
"Oh, hi Jerek. It's been awhile since I seen you and Violet is fine, thanks for asking. Who is that with you?" Duncan said as he lowered his weapon.  
  
"Duncan, meet Ranma, my son." Jerek introduced his son to his friend.   
  
"Hi." Ranma waved as Duncan did the same.  
  
"Duncan, are you going to let us in?" asked Jerek.  
  
"Sure, but what's the password?" Duncan smirked.  
  
"Duncan, you know who I am so let me in."   
  
"Rules are rules, Jerek. You should know by now, they have to be upheld."   
  
"Fine, it's Sunset Sunrise," Jerek replied with the password.  
  
"Now that wasn't so hard, was it Jerek?" Duncan smiled as he allowed Ranma and Jerek to Port Bax.  
  
"You owe me a drink you know that?" Jerek said.  
  
"Same place, same time," Duncan said as Jerek gave him the thumbs up.  
  
As they crossed the bridge, Ranma asked who Duncan was, and Jerek replied that he was an old friend that he had met long ago.  
  
***  
  
Crossing the bridge, Ranma saw a familiar sight: the great harbour of Durenor, Port Bax. Like a diamond set in the green velvet shore, the towers of the city glimmered in the pale light of a waxing moon. To the north of the port was the formidable warfleet of the Durenese navy. To the east, beyond the moss covered city wall stretched the forest of Durenor and there, on the crest of a hill, stood a castle tall and proud, the crowning glory of this beautiful port.  
  
"Come on Ranma. There is no time for sightseeing! We must head to city hall immediately," Jerek said when Ranma stopped to admire the city.  
  
Hearing Jerek calling him, Ranma snapped out of his sightseeing and quickly started to chase after his father who was already some way ahead of him.  
  
"Hey wait up!" Ranma called out.  
  
Ten minutes later, both Ranma and Jerek were outside the city hall. Walking up the wide stone steps of the domed building, they entered city hall.  
  
Inside city hall, the main chamber was quite well furnished and illuminated. Near the main entrance sat a kindly old man with a long beard. He was currently studying a huge leather-bound book that was as old as he was. Walking up to the old man, Ranma announced himself, sure that the old man hasn't noticed him yet, being too busy concentrating on the book.  
  
Jerek coughed loudly to get the old man's attention.  
  
"Oh hello there, sorry about that. Welcome to Port Bax city hall, how may I help you?" the old man said as he looked up to see Ranma and Jerek standing there.  
  
"Yes, you can help us alright," Jerek said as he nudged Ranma to announce himself.  
  
"Do you know where the Consulate of Sommerlund is?" Ranma asked.  
  
"Of course. It is in Alin Square, near the harbour. Turn right when you leave and right again at the end of the avenue. That will take you to the Red Gate. Here you will need a red card as the consulate is in the naval quadrant of the city which is a restricted area," the old man said.  
  
Ranma was about to ask the old man where to get a red card until Jerek interrupted him.  
  
"Don't worry Ranma, I already got one," Jerek said as he showed Ranma his red permit card.  
  
Ranma bid farewell to the old man as they left city hall and, following the directions from the old man, they immediately headed toward the Consulate of Sommerlund. Ranma was wondering how well connected his father really was in Durenor. Walking down the street, Ranma could see a large red gate at the end and noticed that two soldiers guarded it. Ranma could also make out the masts of ships moored in the harbour but couldn't make out too many details as it was dark now.  
  
Jerek approached one of the guards and showed him his red permit card. After a brief moment they saluted him and allowed Ranma and Jerek to pass through the red gate. The two walked into an open square lit by the tall beacons lining the quayside. Ranma instantly recognised the marble pillars of the Sommerlund Consulate and the sun - flags of Sommerlund.   
  
'That must be the Sommerlund Consulate,' Ranma thought as he and his father climbed the stone steps.  
  
The Guards at the entrance instantly recognised Ranma and disappeared inside, quickly returning in the company of a tall grey haired official. His anguished expression suddenly changed to a smile of joy as he beheld Ranma's ragged cloak and tunic. He also noticed Jerek standing next to Ranma and immediately recognised him and saluted, Jerek doing likewise in response.  
  
"Thank the gods that you live, Kai Lord. The scant news that has reached us from the west has caused us great alarm."  
  
"Obviously, the news is false as I am still here," Ranma replied.  
  
"That is good to hear, Kai Lord."  
  
The officer quickly ushered Ranma and Jerek inside and took them immediately to the envoy of Sommerlund, Lord Lieutenant Rhygar, Consulate of Sommerlund  
  
***  
  
Consulate of Sommerlund  
  
When he entered the lavishly decorated room, Ranma was quite surprised, as he had half expected him to be servile old man. Lord Rhygar was somewhat different to what Ranma expected; clad in heavy chainmail, he was neither old nor servile. He sort of resembled Jerek in build and appearance, but lacked the uniform of a Sommlending Knight.  
  
"Lord Rhygar, may I introduce Kai Lord Wild Horse and Lord Stormgard." The officer announced their presence as Lord Rhygar was currently studying a map of Magnamund.  
  
Lord Rhygar immediately recognised Jerek and the Kai Lord by Ranma's uniform. He walked up to Ranma and shook his hand.  
  
"I am indeed heartened by your presence Lord Wild Horse. It must have been a difficult journey here and your arrival here shows you are a exceptional Kai Lord," Lord Rhygar said. He then looked to the person standing next to Ranma as a smile slowly crept to his face.  
  
"Jerek Stormgard. My, my how long has it been since we saw each other... two... three years?" Lord Rhygar greeted as he saw the former legendary commander of Sommerlund and old friend.  
  
'How many people does dad know?' Ranma thought as he watched Jerek reunite with his old friend and battle brother.  
  
"It's good to see again Rhygar and it's been two years. How are you?" Jerek smiled as he gave him a firm handshake.  
  
"Fine, thanks for asking. How is family life doing?"  
  
"Very well although I do miss some of the adventures that we had, Rhygar."   
  
"I understand. And how is Oriah doing?"  
  
"She doing well and she also with child."   
  
"Well congratulations! I never expected you to be a family guy."   
  
"Me neither but that's the way life is."  
  
"True," Rhygar said as Jerek nodded.  
  
"Lord Wild Horse, Jerek may I offer you something to eat?" Rhygar suggested.  
  
Receiving warm approval and a nod from Ranma, Rhygar ordered a large sumptuous meal, which Ranma thought was far the best food he had tasted since the war began. During the meal, they began to talk about Jerek's and Rhygar's past history when they were in the king's service.   
  
Ranma learnt that Lord Rhygar was born of a Sommlending father and a Durenese mother and that he and Jerek had had many adventures together. Both Lord Stormgard and Rhygar were known as legends in this city by the tales of their courage and heroism told about them. Both Jerek and Rhygar were quite similar characters; both were wise in peace and fierce in war.   
  
Ranma listened with keen interest as they talked about when they had managed to defeat the invading armies of the Ice Barbarians of Kalte or when they had negotiated a peaceful settlement with two warring nations. Rhygar was surprised that Jerek had adopted Ranma and that he and his other son Braxus were becoming Kai Lords. Rhygar even considered finding someone nice and settling down like his old friend Jerek had done with Oriah.  
  
"Lord Wild Horse..." Rhygar said.  
  
"Call me Ranma for now," Ranma said. He was too tired and being called Lord all the time was beginning to annoy him.  
  
"Of course, Ranma. We leave for Hammerdal at first light. Escorting us will be three of my best men who will act as bodyguards and guides as Hammerdal is about 230 miles from here."  
  
"Good, as time is against us," Ranma said as he finished off his meal.  
  
"It always is, isn't that right Jerek?" Rhygar said, and Jerek nodded with approval as they, too, had been in that type of situation.  
  
After they had finished their meal, Lord Rhygar sent for someone to help patch up Ranma's Kai tunic, and a physician to attend to any wounds they might have sustained. After that he led Ranma and Jerek to their chamber to rest up before they set off on the final part of their journey to the Durenese capital, Hammerdal.  
  
***  
  
Next Day - Outside the Consulate of Sommerlund  
  
It was early morning. Ranma and his father Jerek were already awake and dressed when Rhygar had come knocking on the room and led them to the enclosed garden at the rear of the consulate. In the garden area were three soldiers standing next to their horses, dressed in full battle uniform. Ranma could tell that they were experienced veterans who had already faced death and survived.   
  
Ranma was given a fine horse, as they would accompany him to Hammerdal. Mounting his horse, he noticed that his father was standing next to him without a horse.  
  
"Are you coming with us, Father?" Ranma asked, to which Jerek shook his head.  
  
"No son. I'll have to go back and check on your mother's condition. Besides, I'm sure that Rhygar can take care of things, right Rhygar?" Jerek said as he noticed Lord Rhygar approaching behind Ranma.  
  
"Indeed, there is nothing in Magnamund that will stop our mission to Hammerdal," Lord Rhygar said proudly as he turned to face Ranma.   
  
"My Lord, we should be setting off now," Rhygar said.   
  
Ranma nodded in acknowledgement.  
  
"Goodbye Father," Ranma said.  
  
"Good luck on your journey. Perhaps me and your mother will see you in Hammerdal," Jerek said.   
  
He waved Ranma goodbye and they left the Consulate compound. The streets of Port Bax were just beginning to come to life as Ranma, Rhygar and their bodyguards rode through the town. They headed for Hammerdal, little knowing the dangers that lay ahead for Ranma and his companions.   
  
***  
  
For roughly four days, Ranma, Rhygar and their escort travelled through Durenor without too much trouble or any real problems. They had ridden along the highway, following the route up to the river valley of the Durenon. In the distance were the peaks of the Hammerdal Mountains. In the centre of the peaks was their objective: The Capital City of Durenor - Hammerdal  
  
They were currently travelling along a well-used path that would lead them across Durenor, and so far everything seemed to be going smoothly. As Ranma was walking along the road, Ranma sensed something in the air that was familiar to him and brought back dread memories.  
  
'Oh crap! It can't be them,' Ranma thought as he saw six hooded riders appear on the forest highway blocking their path.   
  
Lord Lieutenant Rhygar demanded that they should let them pass as they were on a royal mission. Seeing that the hooded riders were not moving or allowing them to pass, Lord Rhygar immediately unsheathed his weapon.  
  
"If you do not care for reason, perhaps our swords will turn your tails!" Rhygar threatened the cloaked riders who didn't seem impressed.  
  
"Rhygar, we must escape now," Ranma said.  
  
"What do you mean?" Lord Rhygar said, confused.  
  
"I mean we cannot not hope to defeat these guys as I have fought with one of them and barely succeed."   
  
"Why can't we defeat them?" asked an even more confused Rhygar.  
  
"Because they are Helghast," Ranma said in quiet voice.  
  
Hearing those words made Lord Rhygar's blood froze. The Helghast were powerful undead beings and were extremely difficult to kill; but that wasn't what made the Helghast so dangerous. It was their ability to adopt human form like assassins. Rhygar had only encountered them once before, and that was bad enough.   
  
"Ranma, leave now! We shall take care of them," Rhygar shouted. Ranma was about to reply against Rhygar's order but saw the cold determination in the Lord Lieutenant's eyes as he aided his men in fighting off the Demons.  
  
Ranma galloped down the road, but not before seeing one of the riders raising a black staff high above its head. Seconds later, a blue flame shot out towards Ranma. Luckily Ranma was able to leap clear from his horse before it got vaporised by the blue flames, but the force of the blast pushed him sideways and he tumbled into the undergrowth. Ranma was lying face down in the tangle of thick bracken. As he got up, someone placed a hand on his shoulder. Immediately, Ranma spun around and drew his sword.  
  
Expecting it to be one of them, Ranma was surprised but also relieved that it was Rhygar, but looked like crap as his face was bloodied and his armor was battered and charred.  
  
"Rhygar, are you all right?" asked Ranma.  
  
'Stupid question!' Ranma thought.  
  
"To be truthful no, I'm not but thanks for asking. We must flee these demons, Wild Horse. Strength and steel will be no use here."  
  
They quickly slipped away under the cover of the wooded hillside. Ranma used his Kai discipline of Camouflage to aid their escape, but couldn't do anything for the doomed escort as the Helghasts continued to slaughter Rhygar's men.  
  
Ranma and Rhygar managed to run non-stop as they continued to increase the gap between them and their Helghast pursuers. Ranma was impressed with Rhygar's endurance and determination, as he wasn't young man and he was clothed in the heavy armor of a Sommlending Knight. Ranma was beginning to feel tired and fatigued as they ran. They would only stop when they had reached the entrance to Tarnalin, the western tunnel through the Hammerdal Mountains. After four hours of running they had finally reached the entrance, but both of them were extremely exhausted; despite his training, Ranma was tired too.  
  
The Tarnalin was one of three tunnels of Durenor that were excavated during the age of the Black Moon, and each tunnel was over forty miles long and passed through the huge circle of mountains known as the Hammerdal Range to the capital. These tunnels provided the only access to the city.  
  
Rhygar sat beside Ranma and took some bread and meat from his pack.  
  
"Eat this. You must sustain your strength for the journey to Hammerdal, for from here you must venture alone through the Tarnalin. I will stay and hold back those Demons. Do not argue Ranma."  
  
"But you're up against six of them, and there's only one of you. How can you possibly hope that you will succeed?" Ranma said as he pointed out the facts.  
  
"Trust me, it is not as bad as you think. This will be a piece of cake, and I've faced worse. Besides, I've got some tricks that will take care of them."   
  
"Like what?" Ranma asked with interest, wanting to learn an alternative way of defeating them.  
  
"It's a secret," Rhygar simply said as Ranma facefaulted on the ground.  
  
"Ranma get up and go now will you!" Rhygar ordered as he pointed down the tunnel.  
  
Ranma bid farewell to Rhygar and entered Tarnalin.   
  
***  
  
Tarnalin  
  
For more than an hour, Ranma was walking down the huge tunnel. As he continued, Ranma was having a nagging feeling as for more than an hour, he hadn't seen anyone or any creature along the path. Then Ranma noticed someone ahead having trouble with an overturned wagon and Ranma decided to help so he walked over to see what he could do.  
  
Approaching slowly, Ranma called out to the person to see if he needed help but didn't receive a response. Thinking that he didn't hear his calling, Ranma walked closer. Suddenly Ranma's danger senses were telling him it was trap. Stepping back slowly, he looked around to confirm what he senses were telling him. The man attending to the wagon turned around and revealed himself as a Helghast. Two more came behind the wagon and surrounded Ranma as they drew their black steel blades.  
  
Three Helghast surrounded Ranma and seeing how difficult defeating one was without a magical weapon, Ranma knew he was in serious trouble. Knowing that steel wouldn't work, maybe martial arts would. Ranma kicked the sword out of one the Helghast's hands to disarm him. He then kicked another one in the head but it didn't seem to be concerned with its head snapped at an awkward angle. None of the moves that Ranma made seems to slow them down; they just kept getting up from Ranma's martial arts attacks. Running out of options, he started...   
  
To use one of the oldest Saotome techniques, one that he would have never thought he would use.  
  
"Saotome Ryü Ögi - "Sö, Kö, Kö" Ranma shouted and ran away.  
  
(Translation: Saotome school ultimate secret - run, think, attack)  
  
The classic move that anyone in their right mind (even Genma) would use if they were up against three almost invincible undead creatures:  
  
RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN!  
  
So that was what Ranma Stormgard did, he ran not because he was a coward, but because he needed time to work out what the hell he was going to do.  
  
'Come on Ranma, think?' Ranma thought as he continued to run as fast as he could while devise a plan.  
  
Ranma was running out of time as the Helghasts were slowly catching up with him. Along the tunnel path, Ranma noticed several sharp looking stalactites above him, which gave him a good idea.  
  
Stopping immediately, Ranma turned to face the Helghasts who also stopped, wondering why this human had stopped running.  
  
Ranma shouted as loud as he could and it echoed in the huge tunnel. The good news was it had caused the stalactites to start crashing down from the ceiling, killing one the Helghasts in a painful way. The bad news was Ranma was in the immediate area of one of the falling stalactites. He dodged it and bolted to a nearby tunnel to avoid getting killed.   
  
'Oh $&$&%£$%!' Ranma thought. It had seemed such good idea when he first thought of it  
  
Ranma had managed to escape the danger, but as he was running Ranma tripped over a rock and fell face first onto the cavern floor. Trying to get up, Ranma found that he had strained his ankle badly. Looking up, Ranma came was face to face with the only surviving Helghast. Seeing Ranma was unable to move, the Helghast raised its cursed weapon above his head to deliver the final blow. Ranma thought he was doomed as he closed his eyes to receive the painful blow.  
  
It never came.  
  
Ranma opened his eyes to see what had happened to the undead creature. Expecting to be face to face with the undead, what he saw wasn't a Helghast but...  
  
Long flowing red hair and bright blue eyes were staring directly at him.  
  
"Ranko! What are you doing here and where is that Helghast?" Ranma asked as he jerked back at the sudden closeness. Ranko just pouted at him cutely.  
  
"Silly Horsey, I came to help you and that disgusting creature... hmm... let's say its been dealt with," Ranko replied as she helped Ranma get to his feet.  
  
Noticing Ranma's strained ankle, Ranko touched it with her finger that started to glow to heal his ankle. Ranma soon found that his ankle was all right and wasn't hurting anymore.  
  
"Thanks Ranko," Ranma said, appreciative of Ranko's help.  
  
"No problem, Horsey."  
  
"Err... Ranko you don't suppose you know a way out?" Ranma asked, sure he was lost in the tunnels.  
  
"Of course I know a way out. Here let me show you."  
  
Ranko moved next to Ranma's side. He was getting a bit nervous as Ranko snuggled up a bit too close to him.  
  
"Now put your right arm around my waist," Ranko said.  
  
"Is this really necessary?" questioned Ranma, a bit hesitant about putting his arm around Ranko's slim waist.  
  
"You want to get out don't you?" Ranko pretended to be annoyed at Ranma.  
  
"Err... of course I do."  
  
"Just do what I instruct okay," Ranko said and Ranma nodded.  
  
Ranma slowly wrapped his arm around Ranko's waist and in blink of an eye and a flash, she teleported Ranma near to the exit of the tunnel. Ranma was trying to get his bearings as Ranko's teleportation trick had left him disorientated - or was it because Ranko was happily snuggling up to his side a bit too much.  
  
"Ranko, where are we?" asked Ranma.  
  
"We're near the exit of Tarnalin and the city of Hammerdal is just over there," Ranko pointed.  
  
"Thanks Ranko for everything," Ranma said as he gathered up enough courage to give Ranko a quick kiss on the cheek.  
  
"No problem Ranma, I have to go now," Ranko said. She then turned from him quickly to avoid Ranma seeing her blushing the same colour as her hair.  
  
'Never thought he would have the courage to kiss me by himself,' Ranko thought as she touched her cheek where Ranma had kissed her.   
  
She then vanished leaving Ranma to make his own way to Hammerdal.  
  
***  
  
Ranma was in a hurry, as he had to get to Hammerdal before any more trouble came up. So he ran, estimating that had to cover at least three miles. Ranma then noticed a group of wagons in the distance that seemed to form a barricade along the road and he instantly recognised the red uniforms as Durenese soldiers along the barricade.  
  
Ranma could hear the excited chatter echoing along the tunnel and as Ranma got closer, there was a sudden silence as the soldiers spotted Ranma along the path. Then a detachment of ten soldiers, led by a knight whose shield bore the Royal Arms of Durenor advanced towards Ranma.  
  
Ranma decided to raise his hands in peace, as he had sensed no evil aura from them as he had from the Helghasts.  
  
"Err... Hi," Ranma said as the soldiers surrounded him.  
  
Ranma allowed the soldiers to disarm him and take his backpack, wanting to show them he meant no harm and that he was friendly. Once the soldiers had searched Ranma's clothing, the knight stepped forward and raised the visor of his helm.  
  
"Who are you? What is your purpose in Tarnalin?" the Knight demanded in a gruff voice.  
  
Ranma thought for a second and decided to reveal his true identity to the Knight.  
  
"Kai Lord Wild Horse of Sommerlund. I'm on an urgent mission to King Alin," Ranma stated.  
  
The Knight seemed unconvinced because of Ranma's foreign looks and his story.   
  
"Tell me Wild Horse, why should I believe you are a Kai Lord as you are obviously not a Sommlending?" questioned the Knight.  
  
"I'm am a Kai Lord and I must meet the king." Ranma tried to persuade the Knight that he really was a Kai Lord and that his story was true. He then revealed the Seal of Hammerdal to the Knight and his Kai badge as evidence of his story.  
  
The Knight was surprised for a split second but regained his composure at the sight of the Seal of Hammerdal. Without hesitation he ordered his men to return Ranma's weapons and belongings and ushered him through the wall of wagons. Ranma was then led to a horse drawn carriage waiting in the centre of the crowded tunnel.   
  
"Back to Hammerdal without delay!" the Knight ordered the driver of the carriage. Ranma almost lost his balance due to the sudden speed that the coach was moving at.  
  
The Knight then sat down opposite Ranma in the coach. Taking off his helmet, he introduced himself.   
  
"I'm sorry for not believing you Lord Wild Horse," the Knight apologised.  
  
"It's okay, I get that a lot around here."  
  
"Well my name is Lord Axim of Ryme, Commander of King Alin's personal bodyguards, at your service." The Knight offered his hand in friendship.  
  
"Nice to meet you, Lord Axim. Can you tell me what has happened here?" Ranma shook his hand.  
  
"We had to be careful around here as me and ten of my warriors were the only survivors when we were ambushed by Helghasts as we entered Tarnalin from Port Bax. We first thought you were a Helghast, as you know that they can take on human form, so I am sorry for the rude welcome. Where is your escort? " Lord Axim said.  
  
"We were on our way to Hammerdal with Lord Rhygar and his men when we too were ambushed by those Helghasts," Ranma replied. Lord Axim nodded in understanding.  
  
'I do hope that Rhygar is okay,' Ranma thought, not wanting Rhygar to be part of the casualties of war.  
  
Ranma started to talk to Lord Axim about his journey and the many dangers he had encountered to pass the time because it would still take roughly about five hours to get to Hammerdal.  
  
"My Lord, you should get some rest now as the journey to Hammerdal will take a while," Lord Axim suggested.  
  
"Sure, just wake me up when we get there."   
  
"Of course Lord Wild Horse." Ranma started to drift off to sleep in the coach while Lord Axim was constantly looking out for any trouble.  
  
Ranma started to dream some good dreams for once since he left Holmgard. He dreamt that he was wielding the Sommerswerd, and his brother had returned to Holmgard and together they would lift the siege of Holmgard and kick the Darklords' forces back to where they came from.  
  
***  
  
"Lord Wild Horse, it's time for you to wake up. We have almost reached Hammerdal," Lord Axim said as he tried to wake Ranma up from his peaceful sleep.  
  
"Huh... what, we already here?" Ranma said as he woke up with a yawn.  
  
"Yes, Lord Wild Horse, see," Lord Axim said as he pointed outside the coach.  
  
What Lord Axim was pointing at was the breathtaking spectacle of Hammerdal, the Mountain City, the capital of Durenor. What made Hammerdal more impressive than any other city that Ranma had seen was that Hammerdal did not need any man made fortification as the encircling peaks of the Hammerdal Range offered a far more secure protection to the people within. Hammerdal was made up of many towers and wide streets, and was surrounded by lush farmlands.  
  
Twenty minutes later, the carriage halted at the tower gates. Ranma looked up at the King's tower; a magnificent structure made of glass and stone. Lord Axim then led Ranma to their King, Alin IV.  
  
Entering the tower, Ranma thought about the trials he had had to go through. Then suddenly Ranma realised that he would be receiving the legendary weapon Sommerswerd and he would become part of the oldest legend of the Lastlands. Once they entered the throne room of the King's tower, Ranma could see King Alin IV sitting alone in his domed tower, viewing the mountain domain through one the many portals of tinted glass. The throne was quite impressive, decorated similarly to the court of Holmgard.  
  
King Alin IV was a fine, regal figure, noted for his wisdom and fairness of judgement. He did his best to appear considerate and kindly, no matter how aggravating the person he was faced with. The King was not a man of action, preferring to settle things through negotiation and alternate methods rather than resort to war. However, if Durenor were to be threatened, he would defend his country to the bitter end.  
  
Ranma and Lord Axim were formally announced as Ranma entered the chamber and bowed respectfully to his Majesty. Lord Axim turned to Ranma and asked if he could have the Seal of Hammerdal so that he could show it to the King. Upon receiving the ring, he walked over to the King's side. Ranma waited patiently as Lord Axim and the King talked about recent events. Ranma noticed their somber faces reflecting the seriousness of the situation and was wondering what would happen after this.   
  
After an hour, the King rose from his throne and addressed Ranma for the first time since Ranma had entered the King's chamber. Lord Axim was standing next to the King, waiting for the King to speak to Ranma.  
  
"Alas, the Darklords have woken once more, and once more does Sommerlund come in search of our aid. I had prayed that my reign would be remembered as a time of peace and fulfillment but in my heart I knew it was to be otherwise."  
  
The King then removed a golden key from the pocket of his white robe and inserted it into a marble dais standing in the centre of the chamber. A gentle humming filled the room as the stone cover slid back to reveal the hilt of a golden sword.  
  
The king then stepped back from the marble dais and turned around to face Ranma.  
  
"Take the sword, Wild Horse. It was foretold that only a true lord of Sommerlund could release the powers that lie within its blade. If you really are a true Kai lord then its powers will be revealed to you."  
  
Ranma was of course nervous, having learnt from Storm Hawk's tutoring was that only a Kai Lord may wield it, and that if the Sommerswerd was wielded by anyone else apart from a Kai Lord then its powers would fade and be lost forever. Ranma did qualify as a Kai lord as he had taken the Kai oath when he began his training at the monastery, and the senior Lords considered him as part of their order.   
  
The problem was that Ranma was not born in Sommerlund or even on Magnamund. He just hoped that it was enough for him to wield the sword. Looking around, Ranma could see Lord Axim and King Alin watching his every move, having the same doubts as Ranma. Lord Axim was sure that Ranma was worthy of wielding the Sword of the Sun. Seeing him a bit nervous and hesitant to approach the golden sword, Lord Axim spoke up to encourage Ranma.  
  
"Kai Lord, from what I have heard from you about your perilous journey from Holmgard to Hammerdal you are indeed brave and courageous as to accept such a dangerous mission. Surely the agents of Naar would have stopped at nothing to make sure you failed. But here you are in Hammerdal and alive. I truly believe that you are indeed a true lord of the Kai despite your background or appearance, and as a true Kai lord, you would do everything in your power to protect the people in your care and uphold what is good in this world. So go on and take the sword of the Sun, Wild Horse of Kai."  
  
Hearing Lord Axim's encouraging speech, Ranma was filled with confidence as he proudly walked toward the marble dais. He then reached out and grasped the glowing hilt of the Sommerswerd.  
  
'It's now or never. For Kai and for Sommerlund,' Ranma thought.   
  
Picking up the golden sword, Ranma felt a tingling sensation ran up his sword arm and started to spread across his body as the power radiating from the Sommerswerd now radiated in him. Ranma felt his senses being overwhelmed as the true power of the Sommerswerd flowed, and instinctively he raised the blade above his head, allowing a shaft of sunlight to catch the very tip of the blade, flooding the chamber with a blinding white glow.  
  
The King and Lord Axim watched with keen interest and at once were satisfied that Ranma Stormgard aka Wild Horse was a worthy wielder of the Sommerswerd. They both nodded with approval - and also relief - as the sword glowed brighter than even rather than fading, as they had feared would happen.   
  
Slowly the light started to fade and Ranma started to regain his senses. During that moment of touching the blade, he was oblivious to his surroundings or anyone around him. Lord Axim approached Ranma and placed his hand on Ranma's shoulder.  
  
"Come, Wild Horse, there is much to prepare for your return to Sommerlund."   
  
Ranma sheathed the Sommerswerd in its jewelled scabbard and followed Lord Axim as he left the King's chamber.  
  
TBC...  
  
*** 


	12. Chapter 9

Ranma/Lone Wolf Crossover Fanfiction  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma 1/2 or the Lone Wolf Series or any other characters. The rights to Ranma 1/2 belong to Rumiko Takahashi and for the Lone Wolf Series Joe Dever. This story is created solely for entertainment purposes and no profit as gained from this.   
  
Note.  
Kai Names:  
* Ranma Stormgard (Saotome) - Wild Horse  
* Braxus Stormgard - Swift Blade  
  
Wild Horse of Kai  
  
By Montymouse  
  
' ' - Thought  
" " - Speech  
  
Chapter Nine - Final Liberation   
  
***  
  
Hammerdal - Capital City of Durenor  
  
The muster of the army and the preparation of the Durenese fleet took fourteen days to complete. Ranma hoped that they would arrive in time to liberate Holmgard before the Darklord's armies penetrated the city's defenses. During Ranma's stay in the capital city of Hammerdal as a guest of the King, every day he would devote himself to long periods of exercise and mediation as he continued to work out how he had performed the Chi move he had done in desperation against the Helghast.   
  
While staying in Hammerdal, Ranma was visited by his mother Oriah Stormgard, who by now was almost due to give birth, and her husband Jerek. Ranma told them how he and his brother were the only surviving Kai warriors left, but he did not tell them about the fate of his brother because he still had hope that he was alive. Oriah then taught Ranma some techniques in advanced healing while he waited for the fleet to be assembled. Jerek told Ranma some good news for a change that Lord Rhygar had been found by Lord Axim near the outskirts of Hammerdal and was still alive. He had sustained numerous wounds and injuries but he was in good hands as Hammerdal had the best healers and physicians in all of Durenor. Ranma was of course relieved that Rhygar was alive, as he didn't really want to lose a good man during the war.   
  
Training with his father Jerek, Ranma noticed during his rigorous training exercises with the Sommerswerd that his martial arts and Kai Sixth Sense had become more sensitive than before, and he could foretell things far into the future before they happened. Also he found out his martial arts senses had become more developed and his reaction speed was much faster. He could also tell if someone was lying or not. It was due to the power of the Sommerswerd that had somehow improved Ranma's, abilities but he didn't know the extent of the improvements.  
  
In the courtyard of the Hammerdal Citadel, we see two individuals practising their swordmanship.  
  
"Come on Ranma, let me see how well you have improved since the last time we met," Jerek said.  
  
"Okay father." Ranma wanted to impress his father with his skill with the sword. Of course, Ranma was better at fighting unarmed with his father, but with a weapon he had to adapt a little because Jerek was an expert swordsman with tons of experience to back it up.  
  
Ranma took hold of the Sommerswerd and demonstrated to his father his Kai skills of balance and speed as taught to him by his Kai masters. With breathtaking speed, Ranma was able to spin and twist the weapon around his head and body; the movements of his hands becoming a dazzling blur. To finish off Ranma's display of swordmanship and Kai Weaponskill, he struck the edge of another weapon, sending it spinning across the courtyard so fast that it embedded itself into the marble pillar, narrowly missing Jerek who just managed to dodge.  
  
"Oops," was all Ranma had to say, as he hadn't really intended to aim at his father.  
  
"Impressive my son. I see that the Kai training had done wonders for you, but you have to work on your finishing skills," Jerek said as he walked towards the pillar to pull out the weapon imbedded in it.  
  
Hearing the sounds of clapping from behind him, Ranma turned around to see his pregnant mother Oriah. She had been watching Ranma from afar, also wanting to see how well her son was doing. She was impressed with Ranma's skill with the sword.  
  
"Very good Ranma. It was very entertaining, especially the last bit where you tired to kill your father," teased Oriah.  
  
She knew that her husband was an extremely skilled warrior so there was no real danger to him, but it did surprise her how well her son had adapted to their family style of swordmanship.  
  
"Sorry about that," Ranma said, embarrassed.   
  
"No need to apologise son, accidents can happen, and besides it makes me proud to see you all grown up. Have you found someone yet?" asked Oriah. Ranma turned a bit red by her question.  
  
"Not yet," Ranma managed to say out.  
  
"That's not what Saria was telling me."  
  
"What has she been telling you?" asked Ranma.  
  
"Oh nothing, just that she said that you've found a girl that you like. You don't have to tell me about her now but inform me when you two are engaged," Oriah teased Ranma as he started to turn redder from embarrassment and shyness.  
  
"Mom!"   
  
"What? Can't I expect grandchildren from you or your brother in the future?"  
  
Ranma felt like banging his head against a wall repeatedly, but he noticed that his father had managed to get the imbedded weapon out of the wall.  
  
"Oriah dear, I think that enough torturing Ranma for now. Should you be resting?" suggested Jerek.  
  
"I'm not a glass doll you know, husband dear," Oriah said, annoyed. She didn't like taking orders at all just because she was pregnant.  
  
"I know dear, but you are almost due so take it easy okay," Jerek said.  
  
"Fine," she said to her husband. "By the way I hope you succeed in your mission, Ranma my son. You will visit us when you have time won't you?"  
  
"Of course mother," Ranma said as he resumes his training.   
  
Oriah followed Jerek as they prepared to make their way back to their village. It was nice for them to see their son but they were wondering where the other was as all Ranma had told them was that he was on another mission. Ranma continued to practice his Weaponskill as he waited for the news that the warfleet had finally been assembled to help aid Holmgard and Sommerlund.   
  
***  
  
It was the thirty-three days since Ranma had left Holmgard for Hammerdal and since then he had encountered many dangers that could easily have ended Ranma's quest; but because of his determination and prowess he had overcome and succeeds where anyone else would have failed. Lord Axim told Ranma that the preparation for war was now complete.   
  
Today was the day the Durenese home fleet would set sail to aid Sommerlund. We see Ranma riding with Lord Axim and accompanying them was a heavily armed escort of the King's royal bodyguards. Reaching the Port, they made they way to the harbour where the Durenese home fleet was currently anchored.  
  
"Isn't this a marvellous sight to behold, Lord Wild Horse?" Lord Axim said.   
  
Ranma couldn't believe how many ships were stationed in the harbour ready to set sail. He had expected a reasonably large fleet but this took the cake, as there had to be at least sixty or seventy galleons. Ranma noticed with his keen eyesight that on each warship there were many brave and eager warriors ready to face the Darklords and aid their brothers in arms.   
  
"Very impressive, Lord Axim. When can we expect to set sail?" Ranma asked.  
  
"The men and fleet are ready, they are merely waiting till we give the word. You shall be onboard our flagship Durenor while I will be on the second flagship Kalkarm."  
  
"Which one is it?" Ranma asked, as all the ships looked identical to him.  
  
"That one, my Lord." Lord Axim pointed to the biggest ship out there in the harbour.  
  
Ranma looked to where Lord Axim was pointing with awe at the size of the flagship Durenor, a warship with a great curving prow and tall masts, which emphasised its sheer power and strength. Ranma and Lord Axim parted and boarded their separate flagships. As Ranma was boarding the ship, Admiral Calfen, Commander of the Fleet greeted him.  
  
"Lord Wild Horse, I am honored by your presence." Admiral Calfen greeted him along with his senior officers.  
  
"Err... Thanks, we should set sail now."   
  
"As you wish, My Lord." Admiral Calfen bowed as he shouted to his officers to order the fleet to set sail for Sommerlund.  
  
An hour later, Ranma could see the harbour of Port Bax far behind him, the domes of Port Bax now merely dots on the horizon. For the next few days and nights the mighty fleet of Durenor steered swiftly towards the Holmgulf. Ranma noticed that the confidence and eagerness were slowly fading away, and although the voyage was fast, there was still a sense of unease. Even the proud and confident Lord Axim was close to despair.  
  
Admiral Calfen and Ranma were on the ship's deck, hoping that the weather would brighten up.  
  
"This black mood that haunts our decks is the evil work of the Darklords. I know of their power to turn a man's mind, but the curse that befalls us is a sorcery we cannot even see to destroy. How I pray that this spell would end, for even if we arrive at our destination, I fear that we will be too weak in mind to break our foes."  
  
"We can only hope," Ranma replied, though he too was being to lose confidence, and his hopes of lifting the siege at Holmgard were beginning to fade.  
  
The next day the black curse that had been haunting the Durenese fleet was lifted but the spell was replaced by a threat far more deadly, as a veil of sea fog had rolled across the still ocean from the broken spine of land known as the Kirlundin Isles.  
  
"Curse it! I'd rather be in a storm than this! It's like someone is trying to prevent us from reaching Holmgard," Admiral Calfen said. The fog was making navigating through very difficult and he could no longer see the rest of the fleet.  
  
Ranma was watching the fog and his experience of weather led him to a one logical conclusion.  
  
'This is no natural fog,'  
  
Ranma thought as he placed his hand on the hilt of the Sommerswerd. His martial arts and Kai Sixth Sense were telling him that this fog had a more sinister motive.   
  
"Admiral Calfen, prepare your men for battle. I am sensing darker powers are at work," Ranma said.  
  
"Why my Lord? It's just a simple fog and there's nothing to fe..." The Admiral was cut off as one of his officers had spotted something in the fog.  
  
"Enemy ships on the starboard side!"  
  
Both Ranma and Admiral Calfen rushed over to the starboard side of the flagship. There they saw strange dark shapes hidden within the mist. As they grow larger they could see the distinct outline of a ship.   
  
"Prepare for battle!" The admiral's cry was repeated along the many decks of the Durenese fleet.  
  
"All hands on Deck!"  
  
"My Lord, you are right. I am sorry for not trusting you," the Admiral said.  
  
"There's no need to be sorry, just get ready for battle," Ranma replied.  
  
As the black ships approached through the fog, a horrific sight befell the Admiral and the rest of the crew.  
  
'Not again! Why is it that I have to keeping fighting them all the time? It's always them! Can't they put more variety into their minions?' Ranma thought as he saw what was on board those ships.   
  
The ships were death-hulks; sunken ships crewed by the living corpses of drowned sailors. They had been summoned to the surface by great wizardry and they were closing for battle. Suddenly the fog vanished, and Ranma could see the death hulks had barred the entrance to the Holmgulf. In the centre of the line was their sinister flagship. Swiftly it sailed towards Ranma's ship, a huge ram protruding from its black prow.   
  
The Admiral ordered his crew to use evasive maneuvers, but the flagship was too quick. As it ripped its way through the hull of the Durenor, Ranma could hear the Admiral's last desperate order.  
  
"Abandon Ship!"  
  
Ranma's instinct quickly took over; knowing he had to find a way off the Durenor before it sank. He took the only option that he had left, which was to jump onto the deck of the death hulk flagship. As he hit the rotting timbers, Ranma expected to land on the deck, but instead he crashed straight through it.  
  
'That was a great idea, wasn't it, Ranma?' Ranma thought to himself as he tried to get up.   
  
The stench of decay that filled Ranma's nostrils was overwhelming as he clambered up onto the deck of the ship. Looking around, Ranma could hear groans and moans coming from behind him. Quickly unsheathing the Sommerswerd, he turned around to see half a dozen ghastly zombies staggering out of the gloom, their twisted hands extended towards Ranma's throat.  
  
'Well, I could do with a warm up first.' Ranma smirked as he charged head on.  
  
"For Kai and for Sommerlund!" Ranma shouted.  
  
Ranma could feel the power of the Sommerswerd unleashed as it was glowing brightly. Filled with renewed confidence, Ranma fought his way through the undead horde, the blade of the Sommerswerd easily killing zombies with a single hit as the weapon was quite deadly to them.  
  
***  
  
After taking out two undead zombies, Ranma noticed a tower on this ship. He sensed a source of evil power lurked at the top of the tower. Suddenly a flash of searing flame shot from the tower, and exploded into the side of a Durenese warship less than fifty yards away. Ranma watched with horror as soldiers leapt from the deck, their clothes and hair in flames. Determined to stop this, Ranma gripped his sword Sommerswerd tightly and rushed up towards the evil tower.   
  
Before he could reach the entrance to the tower two undead zombies stopped him; but they were no match against Ranma's swordmanship, and the glowing power of the Sommerswerd easily sliced them apart. Reaching the entrance, Ranma gave a swift kick to the wooden door, which shattered quite easily. Expecting the worst, Ranma went in with the Sommerswerd glowing brightly.  
  
Entering the tower, there in front of Ranma was an old woman in a crimson robe. The old woman has been watching the battle between her undead forces and the warfleet of Durenor. Sensing Ranma's chaotic and goodly aura, she turned around to reveal that she wore a tall, curved tokmor, a magician's headdress. In her right hand was a black staff that bore the emblem of a serpent.  
  
"I've been expecting you, Wild Horse. I must admit I am surprised to see you alive after the excellent entertainment that I had laid out for you. I can only apologise for that, but I hope to correct matters shortly," the sorceress said,  
  
"Who the hell are you?" demanded Ranma. He knew he had to be carefully as he could sense huge amounts of evil being emitted by this old woman. Ranma then realised that her staff was shaped like a serpent.  
  
'So she is the one that has been trying to assassinate me from day one to Durenor. She probably is the one who commands the death hulk fleet against the Durenor warfleet,' Ranma thought. He knew what he had to do.   
  
"Vonotar," she simply said.  
  
Ranma instantly recognised the name and reached for his Crystal Star Pendant that Banedon had given to him, remembering that Vonotar was a renegade wizard from the Magician's Guild of Toran. From what Banedon had said to him in Sommerlund, he was a master of the black arts. Ranma realised that if he destroyed Vonotar, hopefully the evil death hulk fleet would destroy itself. The one question that went through Ranma mind was...  
  
"As I remember, the infamous Vonotar was a male. You are surely obliviously a female!" Ranma shouted as the old women sweatdropped.  
  
'Just barely,' Ranma thought, as it was difficult to tell.  
  
"I was! Curse that damn red haired girl!" the female Vonotar muttered as he remembered what the girl had done to him.  
  
*Flashback*  
  
Vonotar and his Giak warriors were pursing the red haired girl Ranko across the Sommerlund forest. She had managed to take out three of her pursuers as she tried to lead them away from Ranma. She could have outrun them easily, but she wanted to have a bit of fun.  
  
"Die witch!" Vonotar shouted as he tried to hit her with his fireballs.  
  
Suddenly, Ranko stopped in mid air and turned around.  
  
"Hey, I resent being called a witch! I'm too beautiful to be called a witch. More like a Goddess!" Ranko shouted as she threw a lightning bolt at one of the Giak riders. She then vanished into thin air.  
  
Vonotar and his remaining two Giak riders were looking furiously around to see if they could spot her, but they saw nothing.   
  
"Over here!" a voice shouted from behind. They turned to see that she was indeed behind them.   
  
Vonotar ordered his remaining riders to kill her.  
  
The two Giak riders circled around her and then charged at her from both sides, hoping that she would be caught in their trap. Ranko had already seen their pathetic attempt to trap her, but she played along. When the two Giak riders on Kraans were a few hundred yards away from her, she simply disappeared. The two riders didn't have time to change their course and they crashed head on with each other before spiralling down into the forest.  
  
Vonotar sweatdropped as the Giaks crashed into each other. After seeing them go down, he placed his hand on his face and sighed deeply.   
  
'Why can't I get proper help? Why do I have to be struck with these idiots?' Vonotar thought.   
  
"Hey Voney, catch!" Vonotar heard her and turned around to see Ranko throwing some sort of ball at him.  
  
He dodged it just in time and watched as it passed by him and landed on the ground. Looking to see what would have happened to him, Vonotar was surprised the ball seemed to be filled with water instead of an explosion.  
  
"Ha, you missed!" Vonotar said. He looked back at Ranko to see that she had more than one ball; she threw at least a dozen more balloons at him. Of course, Vonotar managed to avoid all of them except one.  
  
SPLASH!  
  
"Is that all you got, witch?" Vonotar taunted, though he was surprisingly soaking wet from just the one water balloon.   
  
Ranko just smirked as she threw something else at him before she simply vanished. Vonotar caught it with ease, as it was a mirror. Looking at his reflection, he noticed something wrong with the image that he was looking at, but couldn't place his finger on it.  
  
Until five seconds later, when a feminine scream echoed throughout the forest. Anyone who listened carefully could make out...  
  
"RANKO, YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS!!!"   
  
*End of Flashback*   
  
"Yeah right, you really expect me to believe that you are the traitorous Vonotar?" Ranma said sarcastically, though inside Ranma knew he had to be careful as he had sensed so strong a strong dark aura that the Darklords had obliviously powered her up.   
  
Vonotar sweatdropped even more from Ranma's observations  
  
"Hang on sec." Vonotar went over to the table and poured a cup of hot water over her head as she chanted and fired off a black lightning bolt at Ranma, who easily dodged by rolling to his left.  
  
Getting up, Ranma raised an eyebrow with interest as the water turned the old woman into a hunchbacked bald man.  
  
'That was interesting. Glad that's not happening to me.'  
  
"See... I am the great Vonotar. Now, Wild Horse, it is time for you to die!" He suddenly cast two huge black fireballs at Ranma, who had to use all his speed and his training to avoid them.  
  
The two fireballs narrowly avoided his head as Ranma hit the floor, flying past him and blowing out a side of the tower.  
  
Getting up from the floor, a voice calling from above him made his blood freeze. Looking up, he could see Vonotar hovering above him, his left hand pointing at Ranma's head.  
  
"How I shall delight in the irony of your death, Wild Horse. It's been entertaining, but your quest has failed and now you must die!" Vonotar taunted as he started to chant another dark spell to finish Ranma off.  
  
A blinding flash of orange flame shot out from Vonotar's hand towards Ranma. Seeing the orange flash, all Ranma had time to do was to try to shield himself from the blazing fireball that was heading towards him.  
  
In a fraction of a second, the searing burst of flame changed direction in mid air and was drawn towards the blade of the Sommerswerd. The bolt of energy disappeared into the golden blade like water into a drain, reminding Ranma that the Sommerswerd was no ordinary blade, but was a magical sword, which had the ability to absorb magic.  
  
'Thank Ishir and Kai for this sword!' Ranma thought as he looked at the Sommerswerd, still glowing brightly and without a trace of damage, this magic sword had saved his life.  
  
"What the hell happened to my fireball?" Vonotar cursed as he realised that the sword was no ordinary sword.  
  
"So Wild Horse, I see that you have the legendary Sword of the Sun. Sorry, I can't hang around as I must dash." Vonotar pulled out a jewel from his ornate tokmor and threw it at Ranma.  
  
Ranma's Sixth Sense sensed immediate danger from the jewel. He started to get out of the room when there was a flash of flame and a cloud of choking green gas that started to fill the room. Ranma could smell the acidic stench as he exited the tower onto the deck of the ship. As Ranma landed on the deck he caught a glimpse of the traitorous sorcerer - or sorceress as she was now wet - as she paddled a small boat into the fog frantically paddled a small boat into the fog.   
  
"We will meet again, Wild Horse! Next time we meet you will die!" Vonotar shouted as he paddled away.  
  
Ranma could not do anything to pursue the fleeing Vonotar as he had other problems, like taking on the rest of the undead crew that was surrounding him, not forgetting that the ship was in flames. On the other end of the ship, Ranma could see the Durenese warship Kalkarm, but he would have to go through the undead crew first.  
  
Cutting through the undead horde with ease as the Sommerswerd was cutting them down like a hot knife through butter, Ranma was almost at the Kalkarm when two shadowy figures jumped out from nowhere and blocked his path. Ranma instantly recognised them as Helghast.  
  
"Not you again!" Ranma shouted. The last time he had met these creatures, he almost hadn't survived the encounter.   
  
The two shadowy figures gave out a hideous cry as they charged toward Ranma with their black weapons drawn, but this time Ranma was prepared. The Sommerswerd started to glow with a brilliant light as Ranma struck down one of the Helghast, killing it instantly. The second Helghast missed Ranma completely as he managed to duck down in time and pierce its decaying chest with his glowing blade.  
  
Once Ranma had dispatched the two creatures, he started to run and with a mighty jump, he managed to leap across the water between the two ships and landed on the deck of the Durenese warship.  
  
'Made it!' Ranma thought as he turned to see the undead ship explode in flames and sink slowly.  
  
The soldiers onboard had been involved in a desperate battle, but had fought off the enemy and were cutting the grappling ropes that held the ship to the death hulk. The soldiers almost mistook Ranma for one of the undead until their superiors recognised him as a Kai Lord. From out of the smoke appeared a person that Ranma was glad to see... Lord Axim.  
  
His face and uniform was bloodied and his shield badly scarred, but he didn't seem to be wounded or injured seriously.  
  
"Lord Axim, am I glad to see you."   
  
Lord Axim gave him a smile. He had feared for Ranma's life as he saw the ship that Ranma was on destroyed in the initial assault. Ranma sheathed the Sommerswerd in his scabbard  
  
"Thank the Gods you are alive Wild Horse. The fight has been bitter and our losses are high, but I am heartened indeed to see you are standing and in one piece before me now," Lord Axim said as he led Ranma to the ship's rails.  
  
Ranma could still see the many undead ships, many still in flames, as the Kalkarm carefully maneuvered out of the tangle of wreckage. Ranma felt the winds starting to stir as it filled the tattered sails and carried away the smoke of the battle. Lord Axim ordered the Royal Arms of Durenor to be hoist aloft so that other ships could rally to the Kalkarm. For the first time since the fog had set in, Ranma could see the rest of the Durenese fleet as all the death hulks started to sink beneath the waves.  
  
"Their sorcery is broken, we have won this battle," Lord Axim said as he asked one of his officers to assess the damage and report the losses.   
  
He then asked the ship's doctor to come and help Ranma with any wounds that he had sustained, but Ranma said that it wasn't necessary as his Kai discipline of Healing and his martial arts conditioning were already starting to mend the serious wounds.  
  
Lord Axim approached Ranma, who was sitting on the rails of the ship.  
  
"Lord Wild Horse, our losses have been dear, and we have lost at least twenty ships. We now have fifty ships left, but our spirits are not broken. We drive away the Darklord's Armies from Sommerlund."  
  
"That is good to hear, Lord Axim. We will destroy them as an act of remembrance to those who have lost their lives on this day," Ranma said, and Lord Axim nodded.  
  
"Indeed, our victory here has given us confidence, and our morale is high. The men will now fight with optimism and determination, so when we reach Holmgard we will be victorious."  
  
"How long till we reach Holmgard?"  
  
"We estimate we will reach Holmgard in two days' time."  
  
"Good," Ranma said. Again Lord Axim nodded.  
  
He left Ranma, as other things on the ship needed his attention.  
  
'So we will arrive on the thirty seventh day. This is a good sign of things to come,' Ranma thought as he went below deck to get his well-earned rest before they reached Holmgard and lifted the siege.   
  
***  
  
The Durenese warfleet had finally arrived in Sommerlund without too much trouble on the thirty-seventh day. Just in time, as Ranma remembered that the defenders could only hold out for forty days. Using the cover of darkness, the warfleet of fifty ships from Durenor managed to avoid detection, allowing them to keep the element of surprise.  
  
On board the flagship, the Kalkarm, at the prow, stood two men. Ranma was dressed in his Kai uniform but with a chainmail waistcoat underneath, with his magnificent sword by his side. The second person was Lord Axim, who was standing proud and dressed in full Wargear.  
  
Ranma could see the capital that he was meant to relieve, watching the spires of Holmgard on the horizon. Ranma was glad that the city was still standing defiantly against the army of the Darklords, although constantly under siege and that he had arrived in time. Flickering in the darkness, Ranma could see with his enhanced eyesight the small fires which burned throughout the capital, evidence of the Darklords still trying to penetrate the capital defenses.  
  
"My Lord, we have arrived just in time, I see," Lord Axim said. He could still see the defenders of Holmgard still holding out against vast army of the Darklords.  
  
"Yes Lord Axim, despite Vonotar's attempts to destroy us, we have succeeded. It is time for us to remove the plague that has been invading Sommerlund."  
  
"We wouldn't have succeeded if it wasn't for you, Lord Wild Horse," Lord Axim said. He saw Ranma shake his head.  
  
"I cannot take all the credit, Lord Axim. Many have died during this invasion, but tonight we shall take vengeance on the Darklords," Ranma said, remembering his brother's sacrifice in protecting Prince Pelethar.  
  
"You are too modest, Lord Wild Horse of the Kai but you are right: we shall take vengeance. The moonless sky will aid us this night. We shall enter the harbour unseen; come the dawn, my men will scatter the wretched foe like dead leaves upon the wind of a storm. We shall show them no mercy."  
  
Ranma nodded to Lord Axim's statement.  
  
"No Mercy then," Ranma said. It was payback time.  
  
An hour later, Ranma entered Holmgard harbour at the head of the Durenese fleet as he unsheathed the Sommerswerd and prepared to fulfil his destiny. The weakened and almost exhausted Sommlending defenders saw the glowing blade of the Sommerswerd, and they knew that Lord Wild Horse had succeeded in his quest. It was like a beacon of light and hope for the defenders of Holmgard, and they were filled with renewed confidences and determination.  
  
As Ranma watched from the ship as it entered the harbour, he could see that Holmgard had suffered much since his departure. Many of the houses and shops were now heaps of ashes as the Darklord's army with their evil engines of war surrounded the walls, sending their flaming arcs of fireballs shooting through the air. The people fought the fires as best they could, but they were hungry and exhausted and close to surrender.   
  
At first, as the Durenese warfleet entered the harbour, the fleet was mistaken for the enemy, and cries of despair could be heard all along the quay. But as the first of the soldiers set foot in the city and unfurled the royal arms of Durenor, the news of Ranma's return spread quickly. The cries of despair had changed to a chorus of cheers:   
  
'Lord Wild Horse of the Kai has returned.'   
  
***  
  
Eager to help, Ranma made his way towards the battlements of Holmgard to survey the damage and destruction that the Darklords had caused. Passing through the streets, everyone seemed tired and hungry, but as they recognised Ranma as the Kai Lord their expressions change from sadness to signs of hope. Ranma was almost there when someone pulled him into an alleyway. Instinctively, Ranma reached for the Sommerswerd, but relaxed when he saw who it was that had pulled him in.  
  
"Ranko, what are you doing here?" asked Ranma as he calmed down and removed his hand from the hilt of his sword.  
  
"You've done it! You've saved Sommerlund, like I knew you would!" Ranko immediately gave him an amazon-like glomp and a quick kiss.  
  
"Err... Thanks Ranko, would you mind letting go please?"   
  
Ranma had taken on hordes of Giaks, Kraans, and undead, even an evil wizard and had defeated them all. Still, he had no idea about handling the affections of Ranko; but the funny thing was that Ranma was starting to get used to it rather than rejecting or becoming scared by it. (Unlike a certain other Ranma that I know.)   
  
"Sure, sorry about that."  
  
"No problem Ranko, but what are you doing here anyway?"  
  
"I just wanted to congratulate you on your success, and I see that you have the Sword of the Sun. You must be worthy of handling its power as it has chosen you as its wielder."  
  
"Thanks, but I did this for my brother and my fallen warriors."  
  
"Oh, you'll be surprised at what is in store for you." Ranko smiled brightly at him.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
Ranko was about to reply when Ranma heard someone calling him. Turning around, Ranma could see Lord Axim calling for him to come with him. Ranma signalled to him that he would be over there in a moment.  
  
"Now Ranko, what was it that you wer... huh?" Ranma looked back at Ranko, but she had disappeared again, just like at their last encounter.  
  
'She's gone again. Well, it was nice to see you again Ranko,' Ranma thought as he saw Lord Axim waiting for him.  
  
"Lord Wild Horse, please come with me. There is someone who wants to see you," Lord Axim said.  
  
"Who is it?"   
  
"They won't say, they just want to see you." Ranma looked at Lord Axim's eyes, and saw that he did know whom it was but wanted to keep it a secret. So Ranma followed him through the streets of Holmgard.  
  
Reaching the battlements of Holmgard, Ranma noticed a few tents erected behind the wall with different banners. Lord Axim led Ranma through the tents until they reached a regal blue tent. It wasn't the colour that surprised Ranma; it was the banner that was erected outside the tent. The banner was a white Pegasus that represented the Crown Prince Pelethar of Sommerlund.  
  
'It can't be,' Ranma thought as his hopes were raised.  
  
Lord Axim, stepping inside, led Ranma into the tent. He immediately saw Prince Pelethar alive and well. He was still in his armor but looked exhausted. Seeing Ranma, he immediately got up and walked toward him, greeting him with open arms.  
  
"Lord Wild Horse, am I glad to see you again since the last we saw of each other was at Alema Bridge. You have saved all Sommerlund, and for that we are eternally grateful." Prince Pelethar shook Ranma's hand.   
  
"I am glad that you are well Prince Pelethar. I had thought you had been slain, but thank Ishir that you are alive."  
  
"Indeed, there is also someone else who wants to see you." Prince Pelethar smiled as he pointed behind Ranma. Ranma turned around to see someone that he had never expected to see again.  
  
Behind him was a fairly well built man with brown hair and blue eyes. He was wearing the tattered remains of a Kai uniform that definitely needed repairs. In his hand he held a silver bow, and on his shoulder was perched some sort of creature perched that vaguely resembled a bird. By his waist were two weapons: one was a beautifully crafted sword like the Sommerswerd, and the second was a shortsword that Ranma instantly recognised as the Stormgard family weapon.  
  
Ranma was gobsmacked as he walked over to him.  
  
"Here, Ranma, I think this belongs to you." He handed Ranma the Silver Bow of Duadon.  
  
"Braxus, is that you?" asked Ranma. He couldn't believe his eyes.  
  
"Yeah it's me, who did you expect? The toothfairy?" Braxus joked as he gave Ranma a brotherly hug.  
  
"It is you, Braxus, you're alive."  
  
"Last time I checked."  
  
"But how?" asked Ranma.  
  
"Let me give you the short version. We were nearly overrun by the Darklord's forces and only Prince Pelethar and me was left. We thought we were doomed, but thanks to a red haired girl that appeared from nowhere we were saved."  
  
"Is this true?" Ranma asked Prince Pelethar, who nodded.  
  
"Yes. Your brother Swift Blade fought bravely, and we were nearly doomed until this red haired pony-tailed Goddess came and teleported us to safety."   
  
"Yeah, she saved us, but she wanted me to go on another quest. She said that this quest would help you and save Sommerlund, so I agreed. Once I had completed the quest she teleported us back here. They were really surprised to see another Kai Lord and Prince Pelethar alive."  
  
'Thanks Ranko, I owe you one.' Ranma thought gratefully, knowing had to make it up to Ranko somehow.  
  
"So what did you get?" asked Ranma. Braxus drew the beautiful sword from his scabbard.  
  
"This is... Excalibur," Braxus replied. Ranma whistled in awe at the beauty of the sword.  
  
Ranma drew the Sommerswerd and compared it with Braxus' Excalibur. Both swords were glowing brightly, and both Prince Pelethar and Lord Axim were staring at the two swords with awe and astonishment.  
  
"Surely the forces of evil are quaking in their boots," whispered Prince Pelethar.  
  
"A gift from the Gods!" Lord Axim said.  
  
"'Cough!' Lord Wild Horse and Swift Blade, we would like for you to come with us to the battlement," announced an officer.  
  
"We'll be right there. Come, Ranma, let us vanquish the darkness from our lands," Braxus said, to which Ranma nodded.  
  
Ranma and Braxus sheathed both their magical weapons as they followed the officer along with Prince Pelethar and Lord Axim. Climbing the tallest watchtower in the capital, Ranma asked Braxus what the creature was that was perched on his shoulder, but he replied that it was his companion and he would tell him everything later. First thing was to lift the siege that had been plaguing Holmgard for the past month.  
  
Finally they reached the top of the tower. Kai Lords Wild Horse and Swift Blade, along with Prince Pelethar and Lord Axim, stood proudly as they waited for the first light of dawn.  
  
"Ready Ranma? You know what you have to do?" Braxus whispered to Ranma, who nodded.  
  
Reaching for the Sommerswerd, Ranma could feel both the power and his confidence rise as he saw the first light appearing on the horizon. As the light of dawn crept slowly over the horizon, thousands of thousands of black clad enemies were massed around the city wall, huddled like beetles in the trenches that covered the plains.   
  
In the midst of this horde, Ranma could see a great red tent had been erected bearing the symbol of a broken skull. It is the mark of Zagarna, Lord of Kaag, and a Darklord of Helgedad. His greatest ambition was the destruction of Holmgard; his fiercest desire to lead his army to victory over the House of Ulnar and claim Sommerlund for his own.  
  
But victory was not to be his this day.   
  
Ranma drew the legendary Sword of the Sun, the Sommerswerd, and as he raised the weapon above his head, a shaft of dawn sunlight caught upon the tip of the golden sword and a brilliant flash of blinding white flame ran the entire length of the blade. Ranma could feel his confidence and power flowing within him as the power of the Sommerswerd electrified him.   
  
Lord Axim and Prince Pelethar had to take a step back as the power that flowed through Ranma was awesome; Swift Blade seemed unaffected by the increase in power being emitted by his brother. Ranma's senses reel, and his body reacted instinctively. Ranma lowered the Sommerswerd and pointed the blade towards the tent of Lord Zagarna. A mighty roar was heard, as the power of the Sommerswerd was unleashed in a searing white beam. The tent exploded and a brilliant fireball of white flame mushroomed skyward. A long and terrible cry rent the air.   
  
It was Lord Zagarna. The leader of the evil army was no more.  
  
Gripped with fear and panic, the vast black army rose up and ran in chaos from the city wall. The impossible had happened; their invincible master was slain. Again the Sommerswerd had returned to defeat them.   
  
Prince Pelethar and Lord Axim gave out the order as the flags of both war banners of Durenor and Sommerlund were raised high on top of the tower. Signaling the army and the allies of Durenor to ride out of the city gates in pursuit of the panic-stricken enemy as they ran blindly towards the Durncrag Mountains.   
  
Ranma fell to his knees exhausted, never having expected so much power to flow within him, not even when he used the Moko Takabisha the first time on the Helghast. Braxus, seeing Ranma about to collapse, caught him just in time.  
  
"Ranma, we have won. Holmgard is saved and the murder of the Kai has finally been avenged," Braxus said.  
  
"I need a holiday," Ranma said.  
  
"I bet you do. So do I!" Braxus started to laugh with Ranma.  
  
"Lord Wild Horse, Swift Blade, come, we have much to do before you two will receive a well earned rest." Lord Axim smiled as he walked down from the tower.  
  
As they were walking down, Ranma and Braxus heard in the background the people of Sommerlund cheering as the siege had been lifted, and they heard the people chanting the names of the two Kai Lords.  
  
***  
  
Somewhere in 'Aon'  
  
Three powerful individuals were watching what was happening in Sommerlund  
  
"You see? I told you that this mortal would be the one, dear," Ishir, Priestess of the Moon, said.  
  
"Yes, yes, I know dear, you have proven me wrong once again. It will be interesting to see how far this mortal will do in future trials that he, Braxus and Banedon will face," replied Kai, Lord of the Sun.  
  
Ishir smiled as she made sure that Kai wasn't listening to her conversation with the person next to her.  
  
"Well done, Ranko," Ishir whispered to her. Ranko nodded and smiled at Ishir.  
  
"Thanks Ishir."  
  
"Ranko, would you mind checking on the progress of Ranma, Braxus and Banedon as a favor for me?" asked Ishir to Ranko.  
  
"Of course not," Ranko replied. 'It will be a pleasure.'  
  
The three individuals continued to watch the forces of Darkness being forced back by the armies of Sommerlund and Durenor led by Prince Pelethar and Lord Axim. Ahead of the army were the Kai Lords Wild Horse and Swift Blade with their swords Excalibur and Sommerswerd raised high.   
  
***  
  
Toran  
  
Messengers from Holmgard finally reached Toran. Toran was almost in smoking ruins, but luckily the Magician's Guild was still intact, Ranko having managed to stop Vonotar from destroying the Guild from within. Banedon and most of his fellow Guildmasters had managed to survive Lord Zagarna's Phase Two, but they did lose some of their most experienced Guildmasters during the initial assault.  
  
Banedon received word from the messenger that Kai Lords Wild Horse and Swift Blade had managed to destroy the Darklord's armies and that it was Wild Horse that had managed to destroy the Darklord himself. Most of the Guildmasters were celebrating as Sommerlund was saved.  
  
'Thank Ishir, Ranma and Braxus are alive. I must see them soon but first I have to stay here before I can do anything,' Banedon thought as he went to check on the condition of his fellow Guildmasters.  
  
Soon word spread across Magnamund about the defeat of the Darklord's forces and how only two surviving members of the Kai were responsible for their defeat and that they had saved Sommerlund from falling.  
  
Rumours and tales were told of how Lord Wild Horse had managed to bring the armies of Durenor to Sommerlund to lift the siege on Holmgard. Tales about how Kai Lord Swift Blade came back with Prince Pelethar, whom they had thought dead, and had kept together the defenders of Holmgard until his brother Lord Wild Horse had arrived to turn the tide of battle. It sounded as if it was made from the stuff of legends as the tales of the courage and heroism of Lord Wild Horse and Swift Blade would be told for generations.  
  
***  
  
Somewhere in Southern Magnamund  
  
News of Ranma and Braxus' victory over the Darklords eventually reached Southern Magnamund. Most of the population wasn't really interested as it wasn't their business, but a few were.  
  
One of the individuals that was interested by the news was an old but wise person, currently sitting down in the living room next to his wife in their citadel. They had recently received news about what was happening in Northern Magnamund.  
  
*Tales of Wild Horse and Swift Blade are proving to be an interesting topic, don't you think, dear?* the man communicated telepathically to his wife.  
  
*Hmm... they have potential to become the greatest Kai Lords even known. This Wild Horse sorta reminds me of you,* she replied telepathically. She was dressed in a purple nightgown that matched her eyes.  
  
*Thanks for the complement.*  
  
*Why did you help Ranma Stormgard against the Helghast in the Wildlands?*  
  
*Because I truly believe this is the one whom prophecy says will not just save Magnamund, but all the other worlds too.*  
  
*I believe you. Besides, at least one of the prophecies has come true.* She snuggled up to his side.   
  
*Thanks. We will be watching them for now before we make our move. I want to know just how good this Wild Horse and Swift Blade will be.* He kissed her on the forehead.  
  
*Sensible plan, my husband dear. Are you coming?* She got up and gestured to the bedroom.   
  
*Be there in moment, love.* He placed his staff in a secure place.  
  
*Yes, this Wild Horse will be interesting,* were his final thoughts as he went to his bedchamber.  
  
TBC...  
  
*** 


	13. Chapter 10

Ranma/Lone Wolf Crossover Fanfiction  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma 1/2 or the Lone Wolf Series or any other characters. The rights to Ranma 1/2 belong to Rumiko Takahashi and for the Lone Wolf Series Joe Dever. This story is created solely for entertainment purposes and no profit as gained from this.   
  
Note.  
Kai Names:  
* Ranma Stormgard (Saotome) - Wild Horse  
* Braxus Stormgard - Swift Blade   
  
Wild Horse of Kai  
  
By Montymouse  
  
' ' - Thought  
" " - Speech  
  
This Chapter happens between Chapter six and seven.  
  
Chapter Ten - The Good, The Bad and the Downright Ugly   
  
***  
  
Alema Bridge  
  
The battle of Alema Bridge between Prince Pelethar's men and the Darklords' forces was being fought fiercely as the constant waves of Giak and Kraan parties assaulted the defenders of the bridge. Aiding the beleaguered defenders was Braxus Stormgard, who had stayed behind to help Prince Pelethar while his Brother Ranma went to Holmgard to warn the King about the Darklords' invasion of Sommerlund.   
  
For more than four hours the number of defenders of the bridge had slowly diminished under the constant waves of attacks. It wouldn't be too long until the Darklords' forces overran the bridge. Prince Pelethar had recovered from his injuries thanks to Braxus' efforts.  
  
The sky was slowly becoming darker as daylight gave way to night; the defenders of the bridge would be in trouble as it was now much more difficult to anticipate the Darklords' next assault. Nighttime didn't provide any comfort for the tired and exhausted men; this was an ideal opportunity for a strike to come, so they had to remain active. For the next six hours nothing came as a silence filled the nearby woods, which was unnerving to the Sommlending Defenders.  
  
Braxus Stormgard was stationed near the forefront of the bridge as his keen night vision provided a crucial advantage for the defenders. Prince Pelethar walked up to Braxus and tapped him on his shoulder.  
  
"Why haven't they attacked by now?" whispered Pelethar.  
  
"They're probably mustering their forces for the final assault as they know we won't defend the bridge for any more longer," Braxus whispered back.  
  
"When do you think they will attack?" Pelethar asked as he checked the bandages on his leg. He reckoned that if they were attacked, he wouldn't be able to escape because of his injuries.  
  
"Probably at first light."   
  
"I see. You know that we won't be able hold the bridge any longer without reinforcements." Pelethar sat down next to Braxus.  
  
"I know. We're outnumbered three to one and most of our men are exhausted due to the non stop assault." Pelethar nodded at Braxus' statement.  
  
"Rest assured, we will be ready for them despite the fact that our chances of survival are almost zero."  
  
"Don't let the other men know about this for the sake of morale." Braxus whispered to Pelethar.  
  
He nodded silently.  
  
"Well if we're going down, we better take as many of them down with us as we can. So let's give them a fight they will never forget!" Braxus said as he sharpened his shortsword. Pelethar laughed quietly.  
  
"I must admit Swift Blade, if you were one of my men you would probably be one of the best general in all of Sommerlund. Tell me, Kai Lord, what is your real name, if you are allowed to give your name?"   
  
"Braxus Stormgard," Braxus whispered to Pelethar who seemed quite surprised.  
  
"Are you related to Jerek Stormgard by any chance?" Pelethar asked.  
  
"Yes I am, he is my father. Why do you ask, My Lord?"  
  
"So you're Jerek Stormgard's son. I should have recognised the family resemblance." Pelethar noticed that his statement confused Braxus.   
  
Seeing the confusion in Braxus eyes, he decided to explain what he meant.  
  
"Jerek Stormgard was considered a legendary commander of the Sommlending army and royal bodyguard to our family. He resigned his position to go to Durenor with his wife, so I am quite honoured by your presence at our final hour of glory," Pelethar said as he noticed that dawn was coming soon.  
  
"Thanks, but I think you should..." Braxus then heard the sounds of Giak warriors in the dark woods as they preparing to assault the beleaguer defenders.  
  
"Prince Pelethar, get your men ready; they are about to attack at any moment," Braxus ordered.   
  
Pelethar started to put on his helmet in preparation.  
  
Prince Pelethar nodded and quietly gathered the rest of his men. Braxus saw flames being lit up along the forest's length, indicating that they were severely outnumbered. He estimated at least a hundred Giak warriors judging by the number of flames appearing. The Darklord forces were poised to attack in the eaves of the dark forest. The defenders of the bridge only numbered twenty-five including Prince Pelethar and Braxus but at least the men on the bridge were experienced and highly trained troops.  
  
Prince Pelethar returned to Braxus to say that his men were ready to fight to the death, as they did not fear death as long as Sommerlund would be saved. Out of the forest, war parties of Giak warriors emerged, making such a racket with their shields and swords.   
  
Braxus unsung his silver bow and drew back an arrow.   
  
The leader of the war party, a black clad Giak warrior, issued the order to kill the defenders.   
  
Drawing his bow, Braxus aimed at the leader of the assault party in the hopes that it would slow down the oncoming assault. Letting go of the bowstring, the arrow flew towards the Giak leader, piecing its armor cleanly and killing him instantly. This caused the Giak party to pause for a moment at the death of their leader, but then another Giak warrior resumed command and continued the assault.  
  
They were about a hundred yards in when Prince Pelethar unsheathed his sword as the Giak warriors engaged the defenders of the bridge. There was a loud sound of clashing steel as the Sommlending soldiers and Giak warriors fought. The fighting was fierce and bloody, and although heavily outnumbered, Braxus gained a little ground in the midst of the battle while fighting off multiple Giak warriors. No sooner had Braxus drawn his bloody shortsword from the chest of a Giak warrior, a large grey Gourgaz jumped over the corpse to engage Braxus. After skilfully killing the Gourgaz, Braxus climbed over the pile of corpses to survey the battle. With the noise of war ringing in his ears, he looked around to see how the defenders were coping.   
  
Braxus saw that half of the defenders were dead and the Giak warriors were trying to push the brave defenders back against the bridge.  
  
'This is not good,' Braxus thought.   
  
He saw to his left Prince Pelethar fighting off the battle-raged Giak warriors; despite his wounds he fought on bravely. To his right, a large Gourgaz was clubbing one of Prince Pelethar's knights to the ground. Deciding to help the Knight, Braxus leapt off the pile of corpse to aid him.   
  
The Giak archers who were stationed near the bridge recognised Braxus as one of the Kai warriors. Their orders were to kill any Kai Lord on sight. Seeing Braxus' Kai cloak and uniform, they aimed their bows at Braxus and, taking careful aim, they fired a dozen arrows at the Kai Lord, who was unaware that he was being marked out.  
  
Prince Pelethar had finished taking care of his opponents and he was about to fight off another Giak warrior, when he noticed the Giak archers lined up along the riverbank aiming at Braxus. Seeing the danger, he ran and dove headlong at Braxus, pushing him out of the path of the arrows. Braxus got up from being roughly pushed to the ground and noticed Prince Pelethar near his feet.   
  
"Thanks, Pelethar, I owe you one," Braxus said as he offered his hand to help Pelethar get up.  
  
"No need to. Think of this as a life debt fulfilled for saving me when I was injured. We are now even," Pelethar said.   
  
Braxus smiled and nodded.  
  
"Come Prince Pelethar, let us show them what we are made of," Braxus said   
  
Braxus and Prince Pelethar renewed their assault on the attackers with renewed confidence as they pushed back the Giak warriors. Braxus picked up another weapon from one of the dead warriors and fought two opponents at the same time, while a large black clad Giak warrior assaulted Prince Pelethar.  
  
No sooner had Braxus drawn his shortsword from his adversary's body, than he sensed someone behind him. Quickly spinning around, Braxus swung his sword at the adversary behind him. Nearly too late, he noticed that it wasn't a soldier of the Darklords, but a young red haired girl.  
  
He managed to stop the swing of his sword before it hit her due to his Kai training and years of experience with practising with his father.  
  
"Who are you and what in hell is a girl like you doing here in middle of battle?" Braxus shouted.  
  
"The name's Ranko, a close friend of Ranma. Nice to meet you," Ranko said as she shook Braxus' hand.   
  
Braxus sweatdropped in surprise; this girl Ranko was unaware of the dangers that were happening around her. The odd thing was that no one had attacked her yet, and she didn't seem to be injured. Prince Pelethar saw Braxus talking to a red haired girl and thought he was seeing things due to battle fatigue.   
  
He rushed over to Braxus.  
  
"Err... Braxus who is this girl?" Pelethar said.  
  
"She said she a friend of my brother Wild horse," Braxus replied.  
  
"Oh." Pelethar then turned to Ranko who still smiling in a way that was starting to make him nervous. "Young Lady, may I ask why are you here?" asked Pelethar.   
  
Suddenly, volleys of arrows were fired and were heading toward the trio. Braxus and Pelethar tried to shield themselves against the volley, as they didn't have the time to do anything else, Ranko just stood still. The volley of arrows suddenly stopped as they hit an invisible barrier that Ranko had placed earlier.   
  
Seeing the reaction of Braxus and Prince Pelethar, she started to giggle.  
  
"What is so funny? We're could have been killed!" demanded Braxus and Prince Pelethar.  
  
"You!" Ranko giggled.  
  
Braxus and Prince Pelethar suddenly noticed that the noise had stopped as the Darklords' forces had surrounded them. All the defenders had been defeated and they now possessed the bridge; only the Prince, the Kai Lord and the red haired girl were left. Pelethar and Braxus had their backs together as they waited for the forces to overwhelm them, but noticed something was wrong.   
  
"What happened?" Pelethar asked.  
  
"Don't know, they look like they're frozen in time," Braxus replied, seeing that the Giak warriors were frozen motionless.  
  
"You are correct, Swift Blade. I have frozen time for a brief moment and I am willing to help you," Ranko offered.  
  
"Can we trust her?" Pelethar whispered to Braxus.  
  
"We got no choice, otherwise we're as good as dead," Braxus said to Pelethar who nodded. He trusted Braxus' judgement and agreed to his decision.   
  
Braxus turned toward Ranko.  
  
"We accept."  
  
"Good."   
  
Ranko then clicked her fingers and a bright flash consumed the trio. Time then resumed, leaving the Giak warriors wondering where the hell the Kai Lord and the Prince had gone. Never mind, they had the bridge now, so on to Holmgard, their leader ordered and they marched towards the Sommlending Capital.   
  
***  
  
Ranko had teleported Prince Pelethar and Braxus Stormgard to safety, but instead of returning them to Holmgard, she had sent them to another dimension, as she wanted Braxus to go on a particular quest, which would help aid Sommerlund.   
  
With a flash, Braxus and Pelethar appeared in woodland clearing with Ranko nowhere to be seen. Looking around, Braxus had no clue where she had teleported them. Judging by the position of the sun, it was about two in the afternoon and they were currently in a dense forest. Prince Pelethar was thinking the same, as he too couldn't work out where he was. Feeling a bit tired; Pelethar walked over to a tree stump and sat down before removing his helmet.  
  
"Do you know why that red haired girl teleported us here?" Pelethar asked as he checked his equipment.  
  
"Haven't a clue. Don't know why she sent us here, but maybe she wants us to do something."  
  
"How do you know that she's working for good? Maybe she wants to kill us," enquired Pelethar.  
  
"I don't think she's evil; and besides, there was something in her eyes that makes me think she's on our side. If she wanted us dead she would have left us to die at Alema Bridge. Besides that, I want to know how she knows my brother."  
  
"Well, if you say so. At least we're alive. Still, we have to get back to Holmgard to warn my father of the Darklords' invasion."   
  
"I'm sure that Wild Horse made it and warned the king. Come on, Prince Pelethar, let's see if we can find a village or something."   
  
"Okay, but we better be quick; it will be dark soon," Pelethar said as he got up and followed Braxus through the forest.  
  
Two hours later, Braxus had managed to find a deserted village. Walking through the village, Braxus assumed that the village had only been deserted since a couple of hours ago. Judging from his surroundings, it looked like someone had rounded up all the villagers, as there was evidence of struggles all over the small village. There was no one alive in sight. The front gate of the stockade that was protecting the village was smashed and there were scenes of a recent skirmish. Braxus was about to enter a nearby house when he heard someone calling him.  
  
"Braxus, I found something you should see. Come over here!"   
  
"What is it, Pelethar?"  
  
"Come over here see for yourself," Pelethar called back.  
  
Wondering what Pelethar had found, Braxus walked over to where he had heard Pelethar calling. Prince Pelethar was standing near a small hut and standing near Pelethar's feet was a half-human, half beast-like creature. It was clearly dead as it had a spear protruding from its back.  
  
"What do you think it is?" Pelethar said as he crouched down and examined the Beastman.  
  
"Don't know, but I think this creature was part of raiding party that attacked the village," Braxus said as he pointed down the path to see some dead villagers.  
  
"It sickens me that someone would attack innocent villagers," Pelethar said with bitterness.  
  
"I know, but we can't do anything to help. If we were here a few hours ago, we might have done something to prevent this," Braxus said.   
  
"I supposed you're right... hey what is that?" Pelethar pointed to the north as he saw a glimpse of light coming from the rocky hill.  
  
"Don't know from here. It could be signs of activity; let's check it out."   
  
Pelethar and Braxus left the village to investigate the strange light that they had seen appearing near a rocky hill, hoping that there were some survivors of the raid so they could help. Quietly climbing the rocky hill and peeking over the rock, they were horrified to see a bizarre ritual-taking place. A horde of beast-headed, inhuman creatures was gathered at the foot of a small mound on which stood a huge wicker structure. The wicker structure was made out of cages of wooden poles, lashed together in the shape of a giant man.  
  
The Beastmen and wicker structure didn't horrify them, though, but what was in those cages did. The Wicker Man was packed with live human prisoners who were doing nothing to try to escape, almost as if they were under a hypnotic spell. The Beastmen were making a terrific din, braying, roaring, bellowing and banging weapons against their shields. Some held torches aloft and all were watching a smaller figure that was chanting and carrying out a peculiar dance between the feet of the wicker structure. Pelethar and Braxus hid behind a large rock as they considered what they should do.  
  
"Those are the villagers from village, I'm sure of it. Braxus, we must help them, otherwise they are going to be sacrificed by that Shaman and will be burnt alive!" Pelethar said frantically.  
  
"I know, I know, but it's only us against roughly twenty of them," Braxus replied as he started to come up with some sort of plan.  
  
After a minute or so Braxus had quickly formulated a plan to rescue the villagers. He realised that the shaman's dark magic was preventing the prisoners from saving themselves, so if they could stop him they would break his hold on the villagers' minds.  
  
"Got it! Pelethar, you see that shaman dressed in that weird patterned robe with a pair of antlers growing out of its hideous, bestial skull and doing that weird dance?" Braxus pointed.  
  
"Yeah, can't really miss him with those antlers," Pelethar commented.  
  
"Well, I think he's the one that is controlling the villagers and preventing them from escaping. If I was to kill him, maybe the villagers would be able to break free of the hypnotic spell that he's cast."  
  
"So you're telling me that you will go down there, go through at least twenty Beastmen, kill the shaman and free the villagers?" Pelethar said making sure he heard it right from Braxus.  
  
"Yeah, that's about it."   
  
"You must be out of your mind!" Pelethar replied.   
  
"Well I won't have to go through those Beastmen if they were to be distracted by something."   
  
"And how, may I ask, are you going to do that?" Pelethar said.   
  
He then noticed Braxus grinning and pointing at him.  
  
"Oh no, I'm not going to do it. I'm not going to be the bait for those stinking Beastmen. I'm royalty, you know!" Pelethar hastily replied.  
  
"Oh come on Pelethar, for the sake of the villagers; we must help them. You know it's the right thing to do," Braxus pleaded.  
  
"Oh right, I'm going. You had better make sure you kill that Shaman, otherwise we'll both be in trouble."  
  
Prince Pelethar then made his way round to the other side of the rocky hill as Braxus quickly used his Kai discipline of Camouflage to make sure none of the Beastmen would notice him. Keeping low and making use of any cover that was available; Braxus quietly crept past the Beastmen towards the Wicker Man. Braxus was almost a few yards away from the dancing shaman when he stepped on a loose rock ledge, which broke and fell, causing some of the Beastmen to turn in his direction.  
  
'Oh crap! Pelethar, where are you?' Braxus thought.   
  
Two of the Beastmen decided to check out what had caused the rocks to fall. Braxus was hiding behind a large rock and they were about to find him when...  
  
"Hey you, you stupid half human pigs! I think you're all stupid, and if you want a piece of me, come and get me!" Pelethar shouted from the opposite end of the rocky hill as he waved his sword at them.  
  
'Braxus, I hope you know what you are doing,' Pelethar thought as he started to leg it down the rocky hillside, closely pursued by armed Beastmen. The Beastmen were outraged by this human insult, and half of them started to give chase.  
  
Braxus slowly looked around the large rock to see only a dozen or so Beastmen were still left, and seeing that his chances of success had improved, he crept around the mound and ducked behind it. Looking around, Braxus noticed a cauldron full of oil just a few yards from where he was. Creeping over to the cauldron and putting all of his weight behind it, Braxus managed to tip the vessel over. Its content gushed down the slope and collect around the base of the mound. Confusion between the Beastmen ensued as Braxus watched.  
  
"Now for the finishing touch," Braxus said as he lit a torch and threw it at base of the mound.  
  
The torch fell into the river of oil, instantly igniting it, causing a wall of fire between the Beastmen and the mound, and leaving Braxus and the villagers unharmed, but with the furious Shaman trapped with him. Braxus unsheathed his shortsword and leapt toward the shaman, to the sounds of the other Beastmen roaring encouragement to their Shaman.  
  
Running toward the Shaman, Braxus saw him raising his right hand and pointing it towards him. Realising that that Shaman was about to cast a spell, Braxus rolled to his left as a bolt of dark energy narrowly missed him. Not wanting the Shaman to have a second shot at him, Braxus doubled his efforts to get near to him, so that he would him from using his dark magic. The Shaman cursed the human as he pulled a sacrificial dagger out from his robes.  
  
The Shaman was no match for Braxus' swordmanship and Kai Weaponskill, and he chopped off his head with ease and no remorse. The death of the Shaman caused the imprisoned villagers to suddenly become aware of what was going on, and in their desperate panic they tried to free themselves. However, Braxus noticed that many of the villagers were exhausted or too weak to be of much help to themselves. Braxus saw that the fire was getting ever nearer to the wicker structure, and if he didn't free them soon, the wicker man would catch alight quite easily. Also, the ring of fire that separated him and the Beastmen was slowly dying out. Seeing that he had to free them himself, Braxus sheathed his shortsword.  
  
Grabbing hold of a pole, Braxus started to climb the precarious structure, trying to free the villagers before it was too late. It was a difficult climb. He had to cling onto the wicker man with one hand and use his other to open the cages to free the prisoners. That wasn't the problem as he had the strength to do it; it was the volley of spears and other projectiles being launched at him as he tried to free the villagers higher up that was the problem. As Braxus was climbing up, he could hear the howling and cursing from the Beastmen as they tried to knock him off the wicker man structure.  
  
Finally, the last cage at the very top of wicker man structure was open, and the villagers made their break for freedom. Looking down he could see the firewall dying down; Braxus began to make his way down from the wicker structure when he heard something from below.  
  
'CRACK, SNAP, CRACK'  
  
'This can't be happening,' Braxus thought.  
  
Looking down, he could see the structure had caught light and the fire was starting to spread rapidly. Seeing that there was no other option but to jump for it, Braxus leapt into the air away from the now burning, empty wicker man   
  
The landing was okay as Braxus hadn't been too far from the ground and he only suffered minor bruising and cuts. Getting up, Braxus felt the rest of Beastmen behind him as he could hear their growls of rage and anger. Turning around slowly, Braxus pretended to look shocked and pointed behind them.  
  
"Hey, look behind you!" Braxus shouted.  
  
The Beastmen were dumb enough to look around while Braxus took this as the opportunity to bolt it as the wicker man, now well ablaze, toppled forward as the wooden supports holding it up burned through.  
  
The Beastmen just looked in shock at the falling, blazing structure as it leaned towards them. With a tremendous crash, it collapsed on top of the crowd of Beastmen, sending a great flurry of sparks up into the night sky. Braxus, who was now on top of the rocky hill, watched this happen.  
  
"Serves them right for trying to kill innocent people," Braxus thought, though there was something nagging him that there was something important that he must do.   
  
Ten seconds later.  
  
'PRINCE PELETHAR! HE IS BY HIMSELF AGAINST THOSE BEASTMEN!' Braxus immediately started to run in the direction in which he had seen Pelethar distracting those Beastmen, hoping that he wasn't too late to save the Prince that he had promised to protect.  
  
Using his Kai Tracking skill, and also following the dead bodies along the rocky path, he managed to find Pelethar fighting off the Beastmen one-on-one as he had his back against a rocky wall. Breathing a sign of relief, Braxus ran up to aid the Prince but not before dispatching a few with his Ranma's silver bow. There were only five or six Beastmen left, so it wasn't much of problem. After all, they were both trained by the best. Master swordsman Jerek Stormgard had taught both Prince Pelethar and Braxus. Pelethar had also received addition training from the best tutors in Sommerlund, while the Kai monks had trained Braxus. Afterwards, both Prince Pelethar and Braxus Stormgard sat down on a rock, exhausted and tired.  
  
"So what took you so long? I had to deal with those awful Beastmen!" Pelethar asked as he wiped his sword clean and sheathed his weapon.   
  
"Well, considering that I had to take out the Shaman, save the villagers, escape with my life and saved yours, I'd say I did it in a reasonable amount of time." Braxus tried to say it in a serious voice but couldn't as he started laugh. Soon Pelethar joined in.  
  
"So, do you know where the villagers went? The last time I saw them was when you freed them and headed into the woods." Pelethar had almost stopped laughing.  
  
"I think they went back to their village. Come on, let's see if they are still there," Braxus said. He got up and started to walk back to the village.  
  
"Hey, wait up. I'm tired you know," Pelethar said as he caught up with Braxus.  
  
***  
  
After walking back to the village, they found it no longer deserted as when they had first arrived, but it was now the opposite as the villagers had returned to their homes and had started to repair the stockade gates. As Braxus and Pelethar approached the village, the guards that had been posted recognised them as the rescuers who had saved them from the terrible atrocity that would have taken place if not for their courageous efforts. Hastily the guards ordered the gates to be opened as a crowd of villagers gathered near the entrance, all looking a bit nervous and tired.  
  
Braxus told Pelethar not to reveal his true identity as the Prince of Sommerlund, but to say he was a Royal Knight or something. As they approached the crowd in a non-threatening way, the general mood turned to relief as they saw that the two men meant them no harm. At the head of the crowd was an old man who greeted them.  
  
"Greeting stranger. May we ask the names of our saviours?"  
  
"My name is Swift Blade and my friend next to me is Pelethar of the White Pegasus."  
  
"Welcome, Sir Swift Blade and Pelethar. We are in your debt for saving us from a terrible fate. If there is anything we can do, just ask." The old man bowed respectfully and the rest of the crowd did the same.   
  
"There is no need for this humble gesture, it is our duty to protect the innocent from harm and evil," Braxus said.  
  
The crowd looked with awe and surprise at the two men who were willing to risk their lives to save them, as they were ordinary common villagers.  
  
"Surely there is something we could do to reward your efforts in saving us?"   
  
"Well, there is one thing you could do," Pelethar asked.  
  
"What is that, sir?" the old man said, waiting for their request.  
  
"We need somewhere to rest and some food as we've been travelling for quite some time," Pelethar requested. The old man smiled.  
  
"Of course sir, it is the least we can do for our saviours." The old man then gave out orders to the crowd to find some food and offer shelter.  
  
Half an hour later, Braxus and Pelethar were in large hall, sat around a large round table with the village council as food was served. It wasn't a lavish meal as they hadn't had much time to gather food but to Braxus and Pelethar it was the best meal they had had because they hadn't eaten a hot meal for quite sometime.   
  
One thing they found out was that they weren't in their home world of Magnamund anymore but on a different world in a province called Palin, and when they mentioned Sommerlund or Kai no one had any idea what they were on about. All had been peaceful until an evil sorcerer came and started to attack nearby villages as his hordes of Beastmen started to pillage and raid the region. No one had dared to stand up to the sorcerer when they found out he was very powerful and evil. It was also rumoured that he was immortal and could not be killed by normal means.  
  
Some brave adventurers had volunteered to try to kill the evil sorcerer but ended up with their heads struck on poles outside his keep. They explained that the Beastmen hordes came at night and without warning rounded them up so that could be sacrificed to their dark gods. As the village council was eating and discussing what had happened, Pelethar noticed Braxus in deep thought.  
  
"I know what you are thinking Braxus. You want to free the people in this foreign land don't you?" Pelethar whispered to him.  
  
"Was it that easy to read my thoughts?" Braxus replied with surprise.  
  
"Not really, but I assumed that's what you wanted to do anyway."  
  
"It can't be that difficult to defeat a sorcerer."  
  
"I don't know much about this sorcerer, but I do know it sounds dangerous because we have to find him first. Then when we do, we have to get past his minions and all sorts of traps he will have set for us," Pelethar explained.  
  
"Yeah and once we find him, we kick his ass back to whatever hellhole he came from so that peace would be ensured in this region."  
  
"Think about it carefully, Braxus. The sorcerer is immortal and they say that he cannot be defeated by normal methods. Neither of us is skilled in magic, so how, may I ask, are we going to kill him?"   
  
This caused Braxus to think seriously about Pelethar's words.   
  
"I don't really know," Braxus replied honestly. He really wanted to help the people rid themselves of this evil, though.  
  
Braxus then decided to have a talk with the village council to see what he could find out from them. After half an hour, Braxus found that the sorcerer's keep was due south of here in the Banarask Hills in a region called the Darklands. From there, the sorcerer kept sending out his hordes to wreak havoc and chaos on the defenceless region of Palin. To the East was Kavlin Manor where Lord Kavlin resided, and to the West was the mountainous area where it was rumoured that the ancient Temple of Kings was located. It was said that the temple held a very powerful weapon that could only be wielded by a chosen one.   
  
After the meal, Braxus and Pelethar were led to an inn where they would rest for the night.  
  
Pelethar was about to enter the inn when he saw Braxus had remained outside.  
  
"Hey Braxus, aren't you going to get some rest?" asked Pelethar.  
  
"Huh... yeah, be there in moment. I need to clear my mind first," Braxus replied to Pelethar who nodded in understanding and went inside.  
  
Everyone in the village was asleep apart from the guards that were stationed on the stockade, keeping an eye out for any more raids. Although the village defences were weak they still had the spirit to carry on.  
  
"What am I'm going to do?" Braxus said to himself as he walked through the village.  
  
"Well, you could always get the sword and kick the sorcerer's butt!" a feminine voice said from behind him.  
  
Surprised by the sudden voice, Braxus span around to face the red haired girl that had teleported him and Pelethar here. She was wearing a green blouse and loose fitting pants. Braxus also noticed that on her left wrist she wore the white bracelet that Ranma had bought.  
  
"It's you... Ranko. Why did you teleport us here?" asked Braxus.  
  
"I want you to do something for me."  
  
"What is it that you want me to do, may I ask?"  
  
"That's easy. All you have to do is to retrieve the sword from the Temple of Kings and defeat the evil sorcerer."  
  
"What is in it for me?" asked Braxus, still not sure about trusting her completely.  
  
"Stop being so paranoid, Braxus. I wanted to help and I did, didn't I?" Braxus nodded at Ranko's statement.   
  
"If you do what I request, I'll send you and Prince Pelethar back to Sommerlund, is that a deal?" Ranko offered her hand.  
  
"Before I accept your proposal, I got one question to ask you."   
  
"And what is that?" asked Ranko.  
  
"What is your relationship with my brother Ranma Stormgard?" Braxus asked Ranko, who immediately began to turn a little red.  
  
"Err... well you see... me and Ranma, well... we're just close friends that's all," Ranko managed to say.   
  
She hadn't expected Braxus to ask such a personal question.  
  
"Okay then, I accept your proposal." Braxus shook Ranko's hand.   
  
'Yeah right! I really believe that Ranma and this girl are close friends. I'm sensing from her that she has deeper feelings for him. Maybe it's the girl that Ranma has been thinking about?" Braxus thought.  
  
"Good, once you defeat the sorcerer, I will teleport you and Pelethar back to Sommerlund," Ranko said as she pulled out a scroll from her blouse and gave it to him. Braxus almost had a nosebleed for some apparent reason.   
  
"Here is a map to where the Temple of Kings is located. It's about a day's ride to the temple. Good Luck." Ranko then vanished into thin air leaving Braxus alone again.  
  
Putting away the map, Braxus walked back to the inn to get some rest. Tomorrow he would tell Pelethar about what he was going to do.  
  
The next day, Braxus and Pelethar were on horseback near the village gate. The villagers had generously donated the horses. When they had heard that they were going to defeat the sorcerer, they were eager to help them if it meant that peace would come back to the region. After getting enough supplies from the village they set off with the villagers wishing them good luck.   
  
"Tell me again, what are we going to do?" Pelethar asked about Braxus' plans as they continued travelling south.  
  
"According to what Ranko said, I am meant to retrieve a sword from the temple that is the only weapon that could defeat the sorcerer."  
  
"So where do I come into this?" Pelethar was wondering.  
  
"Well, I want you to go to Kavlin Manor and see if they are willing to help us defeat the sorcerer," Braxus replied.  
  
"Why me?"   
  
"Well, you know how to deal with Lord Kavlin as you are royalty. Also, I have great confidence in you that you will manage to persuade him to help."   
  
"Oh right; at least it sounds an easy task. Where do we meet after?" Pelethar agreed to Braxus plan.  
  
"Near the outskirts of the Darklands. I will signal to you the location, okay?"   
  
"And once we defeat the sorcerer, this Ranko said she would teleport us back home?"   
  
"She said she would and I believe her," Braxus said to Pelethar.  
  
"Alright then, see you in three days." Braxus nodded and wished him the best of luck.   
  
Pelethar then galloped eastwards to Kavlin Manor while Braxus headed westwards, following the map that Ranko had gave him.  
  
***  
  
Braxus had managed to reach the mountainous region in one day and night, having followed the map carefully. The landscape became even more odd-looking as Braxus passed through the mountainous area. Currently, Braxus was riding on his horse as they passed between the half-buried bones of some massive leviathan from a bygone age. Further down the path, Braxus came across a huge stone statue. The statue was visible from its waist up, while the rest of it was buried underground.  
  
'Must have been someone important,' Braxus thought, estimating the height of the buried statue to be about two hundred metres or so. He couldn't identify whom the statue represented as years of erosion had made the statue impossible to recognise.  
  
After ten minutes of carefully navigating through the difficult mountainous terrain, where all he could see was rocks, Braxus noticed something unusual out of the corner of his eye. Making his way over to the place, Braxus noticed that the something was imbedded in the side of a rocky hillock. Wondering what it was, Braxus quickly made his way over to it for closer examination. On closer inspection, Braxus could make out that it was some sort of ancient temple or shrine by the two huge great stone doors, flanked by statues of two armoured warriors. Braxus thought they looked more like knights in shining armour rather than warriors.  
  
'How the hell, am I going to get in there?' Braxus thought. He reckoned that he would probably need at least a hundred men to actually move one of those solid granite doors.   
  
Dismounting of his horse, Braxus went closer towards the doors to see if there was another way in. On closer inspection Braxus could see there was some sort of strange runes and carvings on the stone doors. Brushing away the dust, he could see there was more ancient runes imprinted across the huge doors.  
  
Suddenly a voice boomed out from nowhere, causing Braxus to jump back with surprise, reaching for his shortsword.  
  
"WHO SEEKS ENTRANCE TO THE SACRED SHRINE OF KINGS?"  
  
It took Braxus a few minutes to regain his composure and to think about a suitable reply to answer.  
  
"Braxus Stormgard, Son of Jerek Stormgard. Warrior of Kai and the last of my order," Braxus shouted.  
  
Then Braxus felt a strange sensation flowing within as he saw the statues' eyes start to glow faintly. Braxus resisted the urge to use his Kai discipline of Mindshield to repel the psychic probe. Sensing that it wasn't an attack, he allowed the probe to continue.   
  
The probe was actually a test to see if this mortal was worthy of entering the sacred shrine. The two statues were actually the Guardians of the gates of the shrine, and they examined him to see if he was worthy of entering. If he weren't worthy, they would have blasted Braxus into non-existence. The Guardians of the gates could see deep within Braxus' soul and they balanced the good and acts of honour against the evil and dark side of him.  
  
After a few minutes, Braxus was still waiting for the Guardians' answer as to whether he was allowed in or not. Waiting a few more minutes, he was about to leave. He got up and was about to get on his horse when the guardians suddenly replied.  
  
"YOU MAY ENTER SWIFT BLADE OF KAI!"   
  
'It's about time,' Braxus thought as he gathered a few things from his horse.  
  
As he turned around, the two huge doors swung open causing the ground to shake and tremble. It took awhile for the doors to open just enough to allow Braxus to enter the sacred shrine.  
  
"Hmm... the doors are open now, might as well go in," Braxus said as he stepped into the Shrine of Kings.   
  
Braxus walked down the long pillared corridor, which was lit by a golden glow from the ceiling. He passed by statues of knights, warriors and heroes, who were either standing to attention or kneeling in prayer. The only sound was Braxus' footsteps as he walked down the corridor; all else was total silence. The silence was beginning to unnerve Braxus, who had his hand resting on his shortsword as a precaution. He was entering a sacred shrine; who knew how many traps there would be. Braxus could see ahead of him a large circular chamber at the end of the long and winding corridor.   
  
Reaching the circular chamber, Braxus noticed a beautiful mosaic design on the floor. Examining it briefly, he couldn't recognise the design but was impressed with the work put into it. However, it wasn't as impressive as the set of double doors ahead of him. Unlike the first set of doors that Braxus had seen, these were plated with gold and unlike the plain granite doors, these were adorned with two huge dragons and lions.  
  
Braxus whistled in awe and appreciation, admiring the beauty and majesty of the golden double doors. As Braxus was marvelling at the intricacies of the decorations of the shrine, his Sixth Sense was picking up something happening somewhere in the centre of the room.  
  
'This doesn't sound good,' Braxus thought as he reached for his weapon in readiness.   
  
Looking around the circular chamber, Braxus couldn't see or sense anything that was a threat. Seeing nothing, his dismissed it as paranoia. He walked across the circular chamber towards the dragon doors. Before Braxus had the chance to touch the doors, his Kai senses detected the sound of footsteps behind him. Turning around quickly, Braxus saw a mirror image of himself standing there on the other side of the mosaic chamber. He was almost an exact duplicate of him except for his blood-red eyes and he was dressed completely in black compared to Braxus' grey and green attire.   
  
"You're me? What is this? Who are you?" demanded Braxus, bit spooked at seeing his double.  
  
Braxus' double said nothing as he approached slowly. To his horror, Braxus could see his double undergo a horrifying transformation. Firstly, his double grew in size, then terrible sores started to appear on its skin and they burst open, revealing decaying fresh beneath. This caused Braxus to turn green, and he tried to keep himself from vomiting due to the disgusting sight of his double's transformation. Its hands became cruel talons and unholy fire burned within its eyes. At the same time his weapons became tarnished and darkened. The tunic became a grave shroud as the symbol of Kai changed into a skull shape. Basically, once the transformation was complete, it looked like it came from hell. Then the double raised its twisted shortsword into the air and advanced towards Braxus.  
  
"That was different!" was Braxus' first thought as he went through the list of options available to him. He either had to attack him or defend himself as his double was almost in front of him, poised to strike.  
  
There was something about the double that Braxus couldn't place his finger on, almost as if he was the exact opposite of him. Suddenly it dawned on Braxus and he knew instantly what he had to do. Laying down his shortsword in front of him, he knelt down and bowed his head at his double.   
  
'I hope this works,' Braxus thought as he closed his eyes in anticipation of his double about to strike him.   
  
Braxus' double raised his black weapon to slay him, but before he managed to make contact with Braxus, he vanished into thin air. After a few moments, Braxus looked up to see his double was nowhere to be seen, confirming his idea that his double was a dark manifestation of his own nature.  
  
Braxus correctly guessed that his double represented all the hatred, anger, malice, envy and pride that lurked within him, but it was multiplied and exaggerated out of all proportions. By submitting to his double, Braxus was admitting that his negative qualities were a part of him. It was part of the Kai training that his tutors had emphasised the most in becoming a Kai lord. To become the best and greatest Kai Lord, one must know and face one's own weaknesses as a sign of strength and courage. Braxus also realised that this was a test to determine if he was worthy of entering the inner hall of Kings. No evil was allowed to enter the temple, and it had many wards to prevent such a thing.  
  
After a few moments to regain his composure, Braxus then heard another noise from behind him.  
  
"What is it now?" Braxus thought. He turned around to see the golden doors swing open just enough for him to enter the inner sanctorum.  
  
At the end of a short hall stood a stone altar with golden drapes, and behind it there was a massive golden statue of a heavily armed warrior. Braxus couldn't identify him, but assumed he was some sort of God or King.  
  
There on the altar was a golden sword, shimmering with a golden light, and next to the sword was a jewelled scabbard. The sword was about a metre in length and was beautifully designed with craftsmanship long forgotten. The only craftsmanship that Braxus knew that even came close was on weapons created by the greatest Kai Lords or the Gods themselves. Inscribed on the shining blade were runes and symbols, which Braxus couldn't translate or understand - except for one word.  
  
"Excalibur," Braxus whispered as he reached for the sword.  
  
Picking up the blade, Braxus could feel the divine energy flowing through him as he gave a few test strokes. Testing the weight and balance of the blade, Braxus noticed something in the corner of the chamber. Sheathing the sword in its jewelled scabbard, he decided to investigate what it was.  
  
In the corner, was a stone altar upon, which was some sort of cage that was covered in a black veil. Deciding not to touch it, Braxus went to walk away when he heard a voice inside his head say,  
  
*Brave Warrior, free me please.* Braxus realised that was coming from the black veiled cage.  
  
The voice filled Braxus with a sense of wellbeing and calm. Deciding to see what it was, Braxus turned around and walked back to the covered cage. Reaching for his sword just in case it was a trap, Braxus took one corner of the black cloth and pulled it away to revealing a...  
  
A blue feathered bird that sort of looked like an Articuno but much smaller. It had gold and silver highlights along its wings and head, and was trapped within the cage. Braxus had never seen this type of bird before so he was understandably surprised.  
  
*Thank you, Kai Lord Swift Blade,* It said, surprising Braxus again by knowing who he was.  
  
*I am Kalona, and you, sir, are my master now,* the bird said, staring at him with its red eyes.  
  
"May I ask why you consider me as your master, Kalona?" asked Braxus nervously. Those red eyes staring seemed to be looking into his soul.  
  
*Are you not the wielder of Excalibur? Otherwise, if you were not worthy of the blade you would have been destroyed,* Kalona thought, seeing the jewelled scabbard near Braxus waist.  
  
"Err... Yes I am." Braxus gulped quietly. He hadn't realised the danger involved in picking up Excalibur.  
  
*Then you are my master. Could you please free me from this cage? I have been in here for quite sometime now,* Kalona asked politely.   
  
"Sure, okay," Braxus said. He used his Kai discipline of Mind over Matter to unlock the cage. Braxus assumed that the bird was harmless, as he couldn't sense any evil emitting from the bird.  
  
A few seconds later, a click was heard as the lock on the cage was opened.  
  
*Freedom at last.*   
  
Kalona then flew out of the cage and circled around the chamber a few times to spread its wings before it landed on top of the cage. It stared at Braxus for quite sometime now before it said anything.  
  
*Master, I am at your service. What do you request of me?* asked Kalona.  
  
"Nothing right now, but you are now free, so why don't leave on your own will?" Braxus asked. He saw confusion in Kalona.  
  
*Master, I am magically bonded to the wielder of Excalibur, and besides, I am the last of my kind, so there is no point in this discussion. Can I come with you? I won't be a burden.*  
  
"Well, if you don't mind, you can come with me," Braxus said. Kalona gave off a happy sound and perched itself on Braxus' shoulder. Braxus was surprised at how light Kalona was considering its size, but assumed that it was using its magic to make itself as light as a feather.  
  
*Thank you Master.*  
  
Braxus nodded and left the inner chamber, making his way out of the Temple of Kings. Kalona told Braxus the right path to take to avoid all sorts of traps that were laid out, including spiked pits, swinging blades and poisonous snake pits. Seeing all those traps, Braxus was extremely glad that he had Kalona on his side, otherwise he probably would have set off those traps and would have been in big trouble when leaving the temple.  
  
***  
  
Braxus was riding southwards to the Darklands where he would hopefully meet Pelethar. Hopefully, Pelethar would have persuaded Lord Kavlin to help with their plans to rid them of the sorcerer. Along the way, Kalona was perched on Braxus' shoulder. He had learnt from Kalona that she was the guardian of Excalibur and that she was ordered by a powerful Goddess and wizard to protect the sword until someone came who was a worthy wielder of such a weapon. Kalona had been stuck in the cage for at least two thousand years, as it was a magical bird, the last of its kind. Many had tried to obtain Excalibur, but Kalona had the power of seeing deep within people's hearts and she had judged that Braxus was worthy.   
  
Braxus also learnt that the previous wielder was a King called Arthur, and once he had passed away, his wizard advisor Merlin had decided to put the sword away and had given it back to the Lady of the Lake. The description that Kalona gave to Braxus about the Lady of the Lake sounded like Ranko, but it couldn't be as Ranko had red hair while the Lady of the Lake was said to have long flowing metallic hair. Braxus asked Kalona the name of the lady, but she didn't know. They had never mentioned her name, and always referred to her as the Lady of the Lake. Kalona explain that she could only talk to Braxus, as he was the wielder of Excalibur as they share a psychic bond between guardian and wielder of the sword.  
  
Braxus had arrived at the place where he was supposed to meet Pelethar, hopefully with support. Fortunately, Pelethar had managed to persuade Lord Kavlin to listen to Braxus' plan and he had arrived in person along with three hundred men mounted on horses. Lord Kavlin was a tall and well-built person. Judging from his scars and facial features, Braxus could tell that he had seen too many battles, and underneath his hardened looks were years of experience in warfare. He was currently dressed in full plate armour like Pelethar's royal armour, but it had his family symbol on it.  
  
Lord Kavlin's troops were camped just near the border of the Darklands, and Pelethar, Braxus and Lord Kavlin sat around a campfire. Braxus was currently explaining to Lord Kavlin his plan to take out the source of the problem that had been plaguing the land of Palin.  
  
"Tell me, Swift Blade, what makes you think that your plan will succeed while all others have tried and have failed miserably? I will not send my men into a suicide mission if there is no chance of success, but Sir Pelethar has told me that you possess a weapon that will defeat the sorcerer," Lord Kavlin asked Braxus.  
  
"Well, for one thing all those who tried didn't have this!" Braxus said as he unsheathed Excalibur to show to Lord Kavlin, whose jaw dropped as he stared at the magical weapon.  
  
"Where did you get that?"   
  
"From the Temple of Kings," Braxus simply replied.   
  
Lord Kavlin took a couple of minutes to think about the plan.  
  
"Alright, Swift Blade, I will agree to help. We will only have one shot at this, as you must kill the source of plague, the sorcerer. Otherwise, his retribution will be deadly and swift." Lord Kavlin explained the situation.  
  
"Lord Kavlin, we must attack the sorcerer's tower at first light to prevent him from preparing for our assault."  
  
"Indeed, we will attack at first light," Kavlin agreed and Braxus nodded.  
  
The next day, Lord Kavlin's men were marching towards the sorcerer's tower. On the horizon they could see the cursed tower perched on a large cliff face. On the ground were roughly eighty Beastmen lined up near the bottom of the cliff, blocking the path to the tower.   
  
"It seems that we have caught the Sorcerer at a bad time," Lord Kavlin said as he counted the number of opponents compared to their numbers.  
  
"Don't be so sure, my Lord," Pelethar added in a warning of caution.  
  
"Why?"   
  
"You know these evil sorcerer types; always paranoid and suspicious of everything also they always have a backup plan."  
  
"Like what?"   
  
"That!" Pelethar pointed to what was next to the hordes of Beastmen.  
  
To Kavlin's horror, things were coming out from the ground, emerging from their resting-places. The sorcerer had resurrected an army of seven hundred skeletons and zombies to combat Lord Kavlin's forces.  
  
"Damn! I knew this sounded too easy," Lord Kavlin cursed.  
  
"Don't worry, my Lord. You don't have to defeat them all, just give me enough time for me to kill the sorcerer," Braxus said.  
  
"Alright Swift Blade, but remember: we cannot hold out against them for long. Good luck." Kavlin said.   
  
Lord Kavlin and Prince Pelethar then unsheathed their swords and charged at the sorcerer's army.   
  
"CHARGE!!!" Lord Kavlin gave the order.  
  
***  
  
While Prince Pelethar and Lord Kavlin were fighting off the sorcerer's minions, Braxus sneaked around using his Kai disciplines of Tracking and Camouflage to get to the sorcerer's tower. Kalona was still perched on Braxus' shoulder, being as quiet as possible as to avoid detection. The element of surprise was important if they are to succeed and using Kalona natural magical aura, she shielded him from the sorcerer's senses. Braxus could see the cursed tower atop a sheer cliff face, meaning that he would have to climb the cliff in order to reach it.  
  
"Why can't evil guys have normal places to live?" Braxus muttered to himself as he started to climb the difficult rock face while Kalona flew up to see if there were any guards stationed.  
  
*Master, the sorcerer's tower is unguarded as they all went to fight Lord Kavlin's forces,* Kalona reported back to Braxus, who was still climbing.  
  
"Thanks Kalona. Keep a lookout, okay?"   
  
*Yes, Master,* Kalona thought as it flew around looking for any signs of trouble.  
  
Ten minutes later, Braxus had finally reached the summit of the cliff and spotted that the entrance was indeed unguarded. From where he was, Braxus could see that Lord Kavlin's men were outnumbered as a majority of the sorcerer's minions were undead while only a small fraction were Beastmen. If he could take out the sorcerer then the undead minions would be destroyed, giving Lord Kavlin a better chance of victory. With renewed determination, Braxus entered the cursed tower as Kalona returned to his shoulder. Inside, he could hear the sorcerer's evil cackling and laughing echoing in the tower and assumed that the sorcerer was at the top of the tower, which meant climbing a huge spiral of steps to reach him.   
  
"Great, that's all I need! More climbing." Braxus cursed as he started to climb the steps.  
  
Five minutes later, Braxus was outside the sorcerer's chamber, but had to wait as he tried to regain his breath after the tiring climb up the tower. Once Braxus had recovered, he threw open the door and entered with Excalibur unsheathed. Across the room, near the balcony of the tower, was a snarling, cloaked person, shrouded in a black miasma of magical energy. In one hand it held a scimitar, glowing with brilliant, cracking blue light, while the other held some sort of amulet. Braxus had no time to take in the hideous decoration of the room, with its mummified bodies, skeletal figures and all sorts of disgusting things stored in jars and pots.  
  
The cloaked figure, sensing Braxus' goodly aura, turned around from his viewing of the battle below to face Braxus and pulled back his hood of his sorcerer robes to reveal itself.   
  
To Braxus' horror what he witnessed was like something out of his worst nightmare.  
  
'Yep it's definitely evil. Classic features of an evil Sorcerer: evil laughter, mutated body and creepy tower,' Braxus thought.  
  
The body of the sorcerer was decomposing, and it still wore the robes of a sorcerer. A sinister smile formed on its decaying lips and a rasping hiss rose from its throat. To top off the appearance of this foul creature, Braxus could see protruding from the decomposing body four huge spider's legs, covered in bristly black hair.  
  
"Well, well, what do we have here? It's sseemss I have a vissitor." The undead sorcerer raised its other decaying hand and fired a black lightning bolt towards Braxus.  
  
Braxus instinctively raised Excalibur to block the lightning bolt. It glowed a brilliant light that filled the room as black lightning was absorbed by the sword.  
  
"Sso, mortal, you have come prepared. You may be able to overcome my minions, but you will never destroy me. I wasss exsspelled from my grave by the foul sssicknesss that isss in the land. Now none can ssslay me. Prepare to die mortal."   
  
Braxus immediately rushed up to the undead sorcerer before he had the chance to cast another spell. The Sorcerer smirked evilly as he simply snapped his fingers. Braxus stopped in his tracks as he heard groans and moans from behind him. The mummified bodies that were in the room started to come alive.  
  
'Oh great, this is all I need!' Braxus thought.  
  
"Meet my friends. Now have fun, won't you?" The sorcerer gave an evil laugh as the two mummies approached Braxus.  
  
*Master, I can help you,* Kalona said.  
  
'How?' Braxus thought. He knew he had no time to deal with the two mummies as time was running out. The forces of Lord Kavlin couldn't hold out against his undead forces for much longer.  
  
*Leave it up to me, but you have to act fast as I cannot not hold them off very long.* Kalona started to concentrate on helping Braxus by keeping off the two undead mummies.  
  
As the two mummies approached Braxus, they met an invisible magical barrier that Kalona had placed between Braxus and the mummies.  
  
"Right," Braxus nodded, "This ends now, foul sorcerer!" Braxus shouted as he charged towards the undead creature.  
  
"Ssso be it." The sorcerer drew its cursed scimitar.  
  
Braxus was aware that the sorcerer's touch was deadly to humans, so he had to stay out of the reach of his decaying hand while also avoiding his cursed scimitar. Normally mortal weapons would not even wound the sorcerer as he was already dead and had the ability to regenerate. Good thing that Braxus had Excalibur, a magical weapon that could harm the undead.  
  
After five minutes of dodging the undead Sorcerer's attempts to rake his flesh with his decaying hand, Braxus managed to pierce the undead Sorcerer through the chest.  
  
"Foolissh Mortal, mortal weapons cannot ssslay me!" the Sorcerer cursed as he stared at the blade that was currently impaled in its chest.  
  
Braxus gave the Sorcerer an evil grin.  
  
"Good thing, this sword isn't any ordinary weapon. Bad news for you," Braxus said as the blade started to glow with a bright light.  
  
"WHAT! THISS CAN'T BE HAPPENING?!!" The undead Sorcerer let out a deathly shriek as the blade glowed brighter and brighter and the rotten flesh started to drop from his bones, dissolving into slime.   
  
Braxus removed Excalibur as the glowing faded and stepped back as the smell was intolerable. Soon, all that was left of the diabolical undead sorcerer was a pool of fetid sludge, his sorcerer's robe and his scimitar, which Braxus would not touch. Looking around the chamber, he noticed Kalona perched near the balcony where the two mummies had stopped moving.  
  
*Master, come over here,* Kalona communicated.  
  
Braxus rushed over to the balcony just in time to see the Beastmen hordes fleeing as their undead allies had returned to their graves. The death of the sorcerer had released the trapped souls of the undead zombies and they crumbled to dust. He could see Lord Kavlin ordering his men to drive the Beastmen from their lands. He spotted Braxus on the balcony of the tower and waved to him. Prince Pelethar also spotted him and waved as Kavlin's men started to cheer in victory.  
  
When Braxus, Pelethar and Lord Kavlin returned to the village, they were given a hero's welcome and a celebration was quickly organised in their honour for ridding them of the source of the plague in the land. Braxus and Pelethar were about to join in their celebration when Braxus noticed Ranko standing outside the village gates. Politely saying they could not join the celebration as they had other important things to do, they left to meet Ranko. Lord Kavlin and the villagers said that they would be warmly welcomed if they ever returned, as tales of the defeat of the undead sorcerer would be told in folktales for generations to come.  
  
"Ranko, we did what you told us to, so can we go home?" Braxus asked her, Kalona perched on his shoulder.  
  
"Yeah, we've got a war to win," Prince Pelethar replied.  
  
Ranko smiled and nodded.  
  
In a flash, the trio disappeared into thin air. The villagers and Lord Kavlin just stared at the spot where they had disappeared. They somehow came to the conclusion that they had been sent by the Gods to help them.   
  
***  
  
Ranko kept her promise like she said and returned them back to Magnamund, dropping them just outside Holmgard. When Braxus and Pelethar arrived, the Darklords' forces had already begun their siege of the capital. Pelethar, however, knew a secret way into the capital. There was understandably surprise and shock when they emerged out of a secret tunnel right into the chamber of state. The King was crying tears of happiness as he was reunited with his only son and also celebrated that another Kai Lord had survived.   
  
Soon the Sommlending defenders heard that Prince Pelethar and Kai Lord Swift Blade were alive and repelled the oncoming assaults with renewed confidence and determination. But there was no time to celebrate as the Darklords' forces were still undertaking their siege of Holmgard's defences. Braxus had decided to help defend the eastern wall of Holmgard as it was in need of a strong commander to help hold things up until Kai Lord Wild Horse returned. Prince Pelethar had taken overall command with Braxus there to help as a tactical advisor.  
  
Many times had the Darklords attacked the battered defenders, and soon it became clear that it wouldn't be long until they succeeded. Thirty-seven days had passed since Wild Horse left for Durenor and panic started to spread as it seemed the Darklords' forces were attacking by sea as a huge fleet was spotted approaching. Soon the fears and panic were replaced by cries of joy and relief as it was identified as the Durenese home fleet.  
  
Braxus aka Swift Blade, Captain D'Val and Prince Pelethar were in the command tent discussing how long they could hold out when an officer came racing into the tent.  
  
"Explain yourself Sergeant! Why did you barge into our tent without proper authority?" Pelethar demanded.  
  
"I am sorry, my Lord. But the Durenese fleet has arrived in our harbour, and at the head of the fleet is Kai Lord Wild Horse," the Sergeant quickly explained.  
  
"By the Gods, Wild Horse did it!" Pelethar said in shock.  
  
"We are saved!" D'Val cheered.  
  
"I knew that my brother could do it." Braxus smiled, glad that Sommerlund was saved and that his brother was alive.   
  
"Once Lord Wild Horse has set foot on land, I want to see him here immediately," Pelethar ordered.  
  
"By your command, my Lord." The Sergeant then bowed respectfully before rushing out of the command tent.  
  
In the background the Sommlending people could be heard cheering and chanting as their allies had arrived in the nick of time.  
  
'Lord Wild Horse of Kai has returned.'  
  
TBC...  
  
*** 


	14. Chapter 11

Ranma/Lone Wolf Crossover Fanfiction  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma 1/2 or the Lone Wolf Series or any other characters. The rights to Ranma 1/2 belong to Rumiko Takahashi and for the Lone Wolf Series Joe Dever. This story is created solely for entertainment purposes and no profit as gained from this.   
  
Note.  
Kai Names:  
* Ranma Stormgard (Saotome) - Wild Horse  
* Braxus Stormgard - Swift Blade  
  
Wild Horse of Kai  
  
By Montymouse  
  
' ' - Thought  
" " - Speech  
  
Chapter Eleven - The Past, the Present and the future of the order of the Kai  
  
***  
  
Immediately following the defeat of Darklord Zagarna by Ranma with the Sommerswerd, those who witnessed the destruction of the Lord of Darkness started a chain reaction among the forces of the Darklords. Panic and confusion started to spread as they realised the impossible had happened. Soon the mighty gates of Holmgard opened, and hundreds of men and knights poured out of the city, charging at the panic-stricken Darklord forces that had been laying siege to their capital for the past month. The war banners of both Sommerlund and Durenor were raised high to signal the end of the siege of Holmgard. At last it was their turn to fight back and drive the Darklord hordes back from whence they came.   
  
With the combined might of both the Sommlending and the Durenese forces they were able to turn the tides of war in their favour. Lord Axim and Prince Pelethar made sure that all the Darklord forces had been forced back from Sommerlund, while Kai Lords Wild Horse and Swift Blade prevented the retreating forces from pillaging and razing the surviving towns and villages as they were driven into the Durncrag Mountains. It took about a week to finally rid themselves of the disease that had been plaguing their country.   
  
During the invasion of the Darklords, much of Sommerlund had been ruined, rich farmland had been destroyed and many towns had been razed to the ground. But with the defeat of the Darklord and the heroic deeds of the two surviving Kai Lords, the Sommlending people were filled with renewed hope and determination. They set out with the enormous task of rebuilding the war-torn country of Sommerlund with determination and less than a year later; few of the scars of war remained visible.  
  
After the threat of the Darklords was vanquished, Kai Lords Wild Horse and Swift Blade were royally summoned by King Ulnar V and his son Prince Pelethar to return to Holmgard for a very special presentation.  
  
***  
  
Holmgard - The Citadel of Ulnar  
  
The splendid hall of the royal Palace of Ulnar is decorated as befits the court of King Ulnar of Sommerlund, being decked out with beautiful and expensive hangings from all corners of the Lastlands. There are no chairs except for those upon which King Ulnar and his son, Prince Pelethar, sit - everyone else must stand.  
  
News of the exploits of Kai Lords Wild Horse and Swift Blade had spread like wildfire throughout the kingdom of Sommerlund. The court was full to overflowing with Knights, noblemen and clergy, all dressed in their best finery and armour. The royal court was divided into two. On the left side stood high-ranking members of the Sommlending royal forces and the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star, their banners and shields waving in the background. On the right side of the royal court was the Sommlending neighbour and eternal ally, the Durenese royal forces. We can see among the count familiar faces and heroes of the war as they wait patiently for a certain two Kai Lords to arrive.  
  
Soon the Royal Herald announced the arrival of the two Kai Lords.  
  
"Lord and Ladies, may I present to you, Kai Lords Wild Horse and Swift Blade."   
  
Entering the royal chamber of state were Ranma and Braxus; dressed in their finest tunics and cloaks they slowly approached the King and Prince Pelethar at the other end of the court. Ranma glanced to his right and could see Lord Rhygar and Lord Axim among the crowd, and they were nodding in approval and respect for all their efforts. Braxus spotted Banedon standing next to the Guildmasters of Toran; he simply smiled and silently waved to them.  
  
Once Ranma and Braxus had reached the throne area of the king, they both bowed down in respect before they retold their story to the King and the royal court. After Ranma and Braxus had finished their tales of heroism and their respective roles in the war, King Ulnar slowly rose from his throne. Everyone in the court went silent as they waited for their King to say something.  
  
"My lords, ladies, knights of Sommerlund and allies of Durenor, this is truly a most splendid tale we have heard, full of perfidious villainy and epic heroism. It is so full of excitement as to be worthy of the stage of our city's own theatrical arena."  
  
There were murmurs of approval from the court.  
  
"Now of all of Sommerlund is safe, for now, as the Darklords will need time to lick their wounds, and I expect the loss of their mighty leader will cause chaos among their own ranks as they struggle for power and position. I would like to give my eternal thanks on behalf of Sommerlund to our allies for honouring our everlasting alliance."  
  
More murmurs of approval from the court as Lord Axim stepped forward and bowed respectfully.  
  
"Thank you King Ulnar, we are glad to honour such an alliance with such a respected and honourable country. All we ask is that if the time comes when Durenor is threatened by evil, we can expect the same help and aid as we had given you this glorious day," Lord Axim said as he saluted and crossed his right arm across his chest to his left shoulder.  
  
"Indeed, we shall aid you when a such a time comes, and please tell your king that you have the everlasting friendship and aid of Sommerlund," King Ulnar replied.  
  
"I shall deliver the message to my king, once I and my forces have returned back to our homelands."   
  
"Before you go, please make yourselves at home, Lord Axim, as you are a royal guest of Holmgard, and we have much to celebrate."   
  
Lord Axim nodded and saluted again as he stepped back within his own ranks. Then King Ulnar turned to face the court to address those in front of him.  
  
"I would like to mention that without the courage and determination of these two Kai Lords, things might have turned out differently; but that is all in the past now. They have passed all the trials that the Dark Gods have set before them, and have succeeded where others would have failed," Ulnar said.  
  
"Wild Horse of Kai, please come forward," King Ulnar said as Ranma stepped towards the King.   
  
"For your crucial role in turning the tide of war in our favour and defeating their Darklord, I, King Ulnar V, bestow upon you the rank and title of Fryearl of Sommerlund."  
  
More murmurs of surprise among the court. As far as they could remember no one in the history of Sommerlund had ever been given such a highly respected Sommlending title at such a young age; it meant that Ranma would have the rank and title equivalent to those of a Baron or Lord.   
  
"This is the first time that I have bestowed such a honour upon someone so young, but I have faith in you that you will protect Sommerlund with your honour and your life. You and your Kai brother will resurrect a new order of Kai warriors as the surrounding lands of the Kai Monastery now belong to you, Wild Horse. The land will be 'Fryelund' and will be under your protection."  
  
Cheers and shouts of approval echoed around the hall as the King finished his speech. Ranma was getting a little embarrassed by all the attention he was receiving. Looking over his shoulder, Ranma could see Braxus giving him the thumbs up to indicate that he deserved such a distinguished title.  
  
Ranma nodded and stepped back as the King waved his hand to silence the crowd; they complied instantly.  
  
"Swift Blade of Kai, step forward please." Braxus did as the King had ordered.  
  
"Having heard what Prince Pelethar has told me, you are indeed courageous and brave to have protect my only son from harm. Also, you have played a crucial part in the war by keeping the brave defenders of Holmgard together and their spirits high at a time where all seemed lost. You are indeed a talented commander and, according to D'Val, you have foiled numerous attempts by the Darklords' forces to breach our city's defences."  
  
Murmurs and whispers of approval echoed around the hall for a brief moment. Waiting for the noise to calm down, King Ulnar continued his speech.  
  
"You have acted like a true Lord of Kai, and for that I bestow upon you a rare title that I haven't awarded for twenty years. Swift Blade of Kai, I bestow on to you the title of First Knight of Sommlending Royal arms."  
  
The court started to whisper and murmur in approval and astonishment. The title bestowed upon Braxus would give him enormous power among the military ranks and the Royal Order of Sommerlund. Braxus immediately knew what he intended to do as the King's advisor handed him the royal sword of Ulnar. Getting down to one knee, Braxus bowed down as the King knighted him in front of the court.  
  
Soon after that, the court erupted in cheers of approval as numerous Lords and knights from all over Sommerlund and Durenor congratulated Braxus and Ranma. They made there way out of the chamber of state and into the courtyard, followed closely by the royal guard, as they were led outside the citadel gates. What they didn't expect was that outside the Citadel gates were hundreds of Sommlending waiting for the two Lords of Kai.   
  
News of what had happened in the royal citadel spread fast, and the people of Holmgard had gathered outside the citadel wanting to catch a glimpse of the Fryearl and First Knight of Sommerlund. Not knowing what to do in this situation, Ranma and Braxus just waved at the crowd, who started to cheer and celebrate as the two Kai warriors got on their horses and rode out of Holmgard. The crowd of Sommlending moved to the sides of the main road to allow them to pass while offering praises and thanks to the two young men who had saved them from the Darklords.   
  
***  
  
Two and a half years had passed since the invasion of the Darklords and there were few signs of the war that had taken place. Towns and cities such as Toran had been rebuilt and restored to their former glory. Farmlands had been replanted and ploughed back to working order as the Sommlending people tried to return to their normal lives. Their Durenese allies had returned to their home country after making sure that all traces of the Darklords' forces had been eradicated and that the Sommlending army was back to full strength.  
  
During these years, one noticeable change in Sommerlund was the new monastery built over the ruins of the old Kai Monastery. Now under the protection and ownership of Fryearl Ranma Stormgard aka Wild Horse, the work to rebuild the Kai Monastery and restore it to its former glory had begun almost immediately. The bodies of the Kai Lords slain by the Darklords were found and placed in a crypt under the newly constructed Kai Monastery. Their names would be remembered and honoured by the new generations of Kai warriors to set an example and to show that their sacrifice was not in vain. Wild Horse and Swift Blade were kept very busy as new threats and challenges appeared, but with the help of Banedon and Ranko they were able to overcome and succeeded admirably.   
  
A year ago, King Ulnar had summoned Kai Masters Wild Horse and Swift Blade to Holmgard to discuss an urgent matter concerning the Sommlending province of Ruanon. Ruanon was a small, remote mining province to the south of Sommerlund and was an important source of revenue. The people of this province had long prospered from their toil in the ore rich mines, living and enjoying their wealth under the protection of their lord - Baron Oren Vanalund. The gold and gems that were mined at Ruanon were then transported from the mining province to the capital, a monthly routine that had never been broken - until now.   
  
All contact with the mining province had suddenly stopped, and the monthly cargo of gold and gems had stopped as well. The king then decided to dispatch an investigating force to Ruanon consisting of one hundred cavalry from the King's guard led by Captain Remir D'Val. The mission was simple, Captain D'Val was ordered to find out what had happened in Ruanon and find the missing convey that was supposed to have arrived weeks ago and report back his finding. For a week now, D'Val had sent no reports back to the King; it was as if he had just vanished into thin air like the convoy. The King was so concerned with the disappearance of his best officer and troops that he had decided to dispatch a smaller task force led by Wild Horse and Swift Blade to Ruanon with the hopes that they would succeed in finding out what had happened. The task force consisted of elite Border Rangers, whose outdoor skills would prove to be useful.  
  
The journey to Ruanon proved to be difficult and full of danger. Bandits constantly ambushed them as they made there way south through the Durncrag mountain range. Many Sommlending rangers lost their lives during this part of the journey, but Ranma was determined to make it to Ruanon despite the danger.   
  
Eventually, Ranma and Braxus made it to Ruanon with only a handful of Border Rangers while making sure that word got back to Holmgard to report the situation. Ranma was relieved to see his friend Remir D'Val alive as most of the province of Ruanon had been overrun and destroyed by bandits. The only building that hadn't been destroyed was a small keep, which was flying the Sommlending Royal flag; but first they had to cross the razed farmlands to reach the keep, which was full of warhounds and bandit snipers. Upon reaching the keep, they discovered that a renegade noble of Vassagonia called Barraka had decided to turn his greedy eye upon Ruanon for the vast wealth in its mines, and most of the people of Ruanon were enslaved and forced to work in the mines.   
  
Captain D'Val's men were ambushed on the Ruanon Pike, sorely outnumbered by Barraka's men, and were able to make their escape to Ruanon. Taking command of the small keep, he and his men were able to hold off the Vassagonian renegades, but couldn't send word back to Holmgard as the path back was full of Barraka's men waiting to ambush unsuspecting troop columns or scouts. They had been beleaguered in the keep and the morale of D'Val's men was beginning to fall due to the numerous attempts to overrun the keep, but under the leadership of D'Val, they were able to repel such attacks. The only problem was that the keep didn't have sufficient water and food, and hopes for help were beginning to fall until the arrival of Kai Masters Wild Horse and Swift Blade.   
  
They found out that there was a more sinister motive to Barraka's invasion of the Sommlending province when they were introduced to the Baron of Ruanon. Baron Oren Vanalund was the only person to escape the mines and found out that he had lost everything: his castle, his land, his town and his family. Not only that, his only daughter had been taken captive by Barraka.  
  
Ranma recited a verse that had been told to him by an old man at their beginning of their journey.   
  
When the full moon shines o'er the temple deep,   
A sacrifice will stir from sleep  
The legions of a long forgotten lord.   
When a fair royal maid on the altar dies,   
The dead of Maakengorge shall rise   
To claim their long-awaited reward.  
  
Braxus realised that they had to stop this from happening, as this would reawaken Sommerlund's worse fears...   
  
The return of DARKLORD VASHNA and his undead forces.  
  
In the end, with the combined efforts of the two Kai Masters and D'Val's remaining forces, they managed to defeat Barraka's troops, but it wasn't until Braxus defeated Barraka in mortal combat that Ruanon was freed from his tyranny. Ranma managed to rescue Vanalunds' daughter (in typical damsel in distress style) just in the nick of time as she was about to be sacrificed in order to fulfil the sinister prophecy. Soon after that, the Sommlending army led by King Ulnar himself arrived to drive out the remainder of Barraka's forces from Ruanon.  
  
Once Ranma had returned the Vanalunds' daughter back to her father, both he and Braxus were given the hero's treatment and would be eternally welcome in the province of Ruanon for their part in foiling another of Naar's plans to conquer all of Magnamund. Both Kai Masters had proven themselves worthy of the title 'Kai Lord' as peace was returned to the mining province. With their heroic achievements, both Ranma and Braxus had mastered almost all ten Kai Disciplines, all of which had saved them on more than one occasion. This led to the question,  
  
Who would teach them the next level of training of the Kai order?   
  
***  
  
Kai Monastery  
  
It is afternoon in Sommerlund. In the grand hall of the Tower of the Sun, we see a well-lit hall with an oak table and modest furnishing. It is well decorated with mosaic pictures and symbols of Kai. To one side of the hall is a large fireplace and next to it is a large wooden perch where Braxus' companion Kalona was perched, watching the people sitting around the table. Around the large oak table are four people. It is obvious that they are currently having a special dinner, as there is much food and drink laid out. As time passes, the four companions just talk about recent and past events during the past years.  
  
At one end of the dinner table sat Ranma Stormgard aka Wild Horse. He was wearing the silk shirt that Ranko had given him a few seasons ago, the one with a horse embroidered on it. Sitting next to him was Ranko, who had finally revealed herself to Banedon and Braxus and had started to trust them. Ranma had eventually invited her after some prodding from his brother to do something about his relationship. She was wearing a very nice modest green dress, her long red ponytail resting on her right shoulder.  
  
Sitting opposite Ranma and Ranko were Banedon and Braxus. Braxus was wearing shirt similar to the one Ranma was wearing, but in silver. Braxus thought that the two opposite him would make a cute couple. He spotted the white bracelet that she was wearing during dinner; it was oblivious that Ranma had given it to her. Although he didn't know the full detail of their relationship, Ranko said that they were just close friends. Braxus knew that she had deeper feelings by the way she would sometimes look at his brother when he was not looking, and he definitely knew that his brother shared the same feeling for her. All they needed was a little prodding from him, Auntie Saria and his mother Oriah, and things would go nicely.   
  
Banedon was allowed to join them for dinner once the brotherhood was secure and safe in Toran, though it had taken months of hard work and determination to restore the city to its former glory after Darklord Zagarna's attempts to destroy them. Banedon was wearing a dark blue full toga-like garment, which he only wore on special occasions. He had been surprised at the level of magical power that Ranko emitted generally when she had first turned up at the Monastery. Banedon was even more surprised when Braxus whispered to him that she was some sort of goddess. He actually thought that he was joking until he studied Ranko's aura. He found that underneath her beauty and character, she possessed enormous power and magic, enough to take out a whole kingdom in the blink of an eye. Banedon wasn't really worried about that because, from Ranma and Braxus had told him about her, Ranko wasn't the type of Goddess that would do such a thing unless she was severely provoked and really, really p**sed off.  
  
Banedon had expected Ranma to find someone really special due to his natural chaotic aura. In his experience, anyone that had an aura as chaotic as Ranma would never have a normal life, and had an increased chance of abnormal and supernatural things happening around him. He was happy that Ranma had found a nice girl, even though she was goddess of some sort.  
  
"So tell us, what happened to you and Banedon when you were sent to capture Vonotar in Kalte? The reports we received were a bit sketchy and lacked sufficient details about the actual mission," asked Braxus.  
  
"Yeah Ranma! Tell us your version of what really happened in Kalte," Ranko added, also curious and interested.  
  
"Well, it wasn't a nice trip as it was freezing cold. We'd heard that the leader of Ice Barbarians, the Brumalmarc, had been defeated by a hunchbacked wizard according to reports," Ranma said.  
  
"When the news that Vonotar still lived reached the people of Sommerlund. They demanded that the traitorous wizard should be bought to justice and be tried in the royal court of Holmgard for the crimes he had committed against Sommerlund, the order of the Kai and the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star," Banedon added as he poured himself a glass.  
  
"The King and Prince Pelethar vowed to the thousands of Sommlending surrounding the capital and demanding that Vonotar be bought to justice that Vonotar would be bought back to Holmgard. Prince Pelethar had personally asked for my help in capturing Vonotar. I accepted the arduous mission to Kalte. Banedon asked me if he could come along as he had heard rumours that a wise Guildmaster was being held captive by Vonotar after he fled Sommerlund. Also, Banedon and me still had a score to settle with the traitorous wizard, isn't that right Banedon?" Ranma said.  
  
Banedon nodded in acknowledgement of Ranma's question.  
  
"Yes, Ranma, we all know that part of the story, but Banedon, what was your reason in chasing after Vonotar?" Ranko asked Banedon.  
  
"Apparently Vonotar escaped by means of teleportation, and the only Guildmaster that I knew of that had the ability and knowledge to do this was Guildmaster Loi-Kymar."   
  
"So that's how he escaped without a trace," Braxus said, remembering that the Sommlending forces had spent days scouring the lands for the traitorous wizard.  
  
"The fastest way to escape his pursuers was by forcing Loi-Kymar into taking him to Kalte. Loi-Kymar was initially reported to have died during the attack on Toran, but we never found his body. Then we received a very weak telepathic message from him, telling us that he was still alive and was being held captive. My senior Guildmasters confirmed that the message was genuine and that it was indeed from our brother Loi-Kymar. So they asked me to join Ranma here on his quest to Kalte with two objectives: Capture Vonotar at all costs, and rescue our missing Guildmaster if he was still alive," Banedon said as he took a sip from his drink.  
  
Ranma continued.  
  
"We heard that Vonotar had last been seen by sea merchant at the Ice Fortress of Ikaya in the northern part of Kalte. I think that Vonotar was expecting our arrival?" Ranma said.  
  
"Now that I think about it, there were some events that were quite unexpected," Banedon said, remembering the arduous journey.  
  
"Like what?" enquired Braxus.   
  
"For example, there were a couple of Helghast assassins pursuing us disguised as humans. Luckily, I had the Sommerswerd with me; otherwise Banedon and I would have been in serious trouble. Then there was the encounter with the Ice Barbarians who ambushed us along the way, and some very unusual weather conditions such as ice blizzards."  
  
"What's so odd about that? You should expect that type of weather when you go to places like Kalte," Ranko asked.  
  
"Have you seen a blizzard that starts to rain down things the size of large boulders made of pure ice?" Ranma said  
  
Ranko nodded.  
  
"I have, but it's impossible for it to happen naturally in Magnamund unless magic is involved with the elements," Ranko explained.  
  
"Don't forget that two-headed serpent we encountered; that was downright nasty!" Banedon added.  
  
"Oh yes, that Javek was extremely dangerous; one bite from that and you would be dead in a few seconds. The venom of a Javek is the most powerful natural poison in all of Magnamund, and not even my healing skills would have prevented the poison from spreading. Luckily Banedon cast a double-illusion spell that allowed me to tackle the Serpent. Then there was the Ice Demon, the Crystal Frostwyrm, the Kalkoth..."   
  
Ranma started to list all the problems and encounters that they had had on their journey to the ice fortress. After a few minutes, Ranma finished his list of encounters.  
  
"I see you and Banedon had a good time in Kalte," Braxus joked.  
  
"Ha, ha, very funny, brother," Ranma said. He then noticed that Banedon was laughing at Braxus joke.  
  
"Oh lighten up Ranma, we survived didn't we?" Banedon said.  
  
"Well, I suppose you're right. At least we rescued your missing Guildmaster and captured Vonotar," Ranma replied.  
  
"Yes, you must have been brave to take on those creatures of Naar," Ranko said.  
  
Ranma smiled at Ranko who smiled back. "Why thank you, Ranko."   
  
"So how did you capture Vonotar? I heard that he had grown in power since the last time you encountered him, and that this time he was well prepared for your arrival," Braxus asked.  
  
Ranma turned his attention to Banedon. "You want to explain or should I?" asked Ranma.  
  
"I think it would be best if you say your version as you had to face Vonotar by yourself. Myself and Guildmaster Loi-Kymar had to tackle the monster that Vonotar had summoned."   
  
Ranma nodded and turned back to face Braxus and Ranko who were eager to listen to his story. "Well you see the situation was like this..."   
  
*Flashback to the Ice Fortress*  
  
Ranma, Banedon and Guildmaster Loi-Kymar were coming out of the ice tunnels of the fortress. According to Loi-Kymar, this tunnel would lead to the inner chamber of Ikaya, where Vonotar would probably be. Reaching the end of the tunnel, they entered a large open area. Across the large open area was a large splendid doorway, flanked by pillars of ice.  
  
"Beyond that door and the room after that is the inner sanctum where we should find the traitorous Vonotar." Loi-Kymar pointed to the doorway.  
  
"We should take a moment to rest and regain our strength before we enter. Knowing Vonotar, he probably has something special cooked up for us," Banedon suggested as they had been walking for quite some time. Avoiding all the magical traps that they had encountered had taken time and concentration. Luckily for Ranma and Banedon, Loi-Kymar was a skilled magician, and was able to detect the traps and disarm them.  
  
Ranma nodded at Banedon's suggestion, as he could not sense any evil magic in the open area. Banedon walked up to Ranma and handed him a special potion from his pouch.  
  
"Here Ranma, you will need this. Drink it, it will restore your strength. Take a dose of this," Banedon said.  
  
"What is it?" Ranma asked out of curiosity. He trusted Banedon completely; he had been a loyal friend.   
  
"It's something that we magicians/alchemists use when we are tired and weak. Its called Laumspur. It is created from a wild herb with a bright scarlet flower and it is highly prized for its healing properties if made correctly." Ranma nodded and took a gulp the potion.  
  
Almost instantly Ranma could feel the aches and pains from his expedition start to fade away, replaced by a warm glow in his chest. Soon his full strength would slowly return to him as the healing properties - combined with his fast healing abilities - started to kick in.  
  
"Thanks Banedon, I needed that." Banedon nodded at Ranma's compliment and moved to take the potion to Loi-Kymar, who was examining the door for any magical traps or enchantments hidden.  
  
Five minutes later, the trio was ready to proceed through to the next stage. But before Ranma had the chance to open the door, Loi-Kymar stopped him.  
  
"What is it, Guildmaster?" asked Ranma.  
  
"Wild Horse, I want you to have this." Loi-Kymar handed him a large crystal with some bizarre runes inscribed on it. Ranma had a face of confusion and curiosity.  
  
"This is a special crystal that may come in handy when you encounter Vonotar, as he has grown in strength."  
  
"What does it do?" asked Ranma. His magical knowledge was still limited compared to his martial skills.  
  
"You will know how to use this when the time comes. One word of warning, beware of his black staff, it is a potent and deadly weapon in his hands," Loi-Kymar simply replied as he opened the door.  
  
Ranma turned to Banedon and asked him what this was.  
  
"Hmm... According to those magical runes, it's some kind of reflective crystal, but haven't the foggiest how it works," Banedon tried to explain.  
  
Ranma nodded and simply pocketed the crystal in the front pocket of his tunic.  
  
As the trio passed through the door, they found themselves in another large courtyard but looked more like a small garden, once open to the sky but now covered with a sheer blanket of ice. The grass has long since withered away, dead and frozen in the ice. Petrified skeletons of trees and shrubs decorated the area, giving it an uncanny atmosphere.  
  
"Nice garden. Someone should thank the gardener for his work," Ranma said sarcastically.  
  
"Wild Horse, behind those double doors lies the hall of the Brumalmarc where Vonotar should be. Remember Kai Lord, we should use extreme caution and stealth when dealing with Vonotar," Loi-Kymar said  
  
"Right, let's go," Ranma said, reaching for the hilt of the Sommerswerd.  
  
Ranma gave the double doors a swift kick, opening them wide open, completely surprising the hunchback wizard who was sitting on the Brumalmarc's throne studying various tomes and books. Old tomes and the eldritch trappings of a Necromancer surrounded Vonotar.  
  
"I like your method, it's really stealthy and cautious," said Banedon sarcastically.  
  
"Well, it's time that we should take the initiative rather than waiting for him to do something." Ranma pointed to Vonotar.  
  
"I supposed you're right. Let's get this over and done with. The sooner we get him, the sooner we can leave this place," Banedon said.   
  
Ranma nodded as he unsheathed the Sommerswerd from his jewelled scabbard.  
  
"Who dares disturb me? Vonotar hissed, as he rose from the Brumalmarc's throne, his eyes searching for the intruder who's dare to enter his chamber and disturb his dark studying. Seeing Ranma and Banedon standing near the entrance, he let out a cry.  
  
"YOU AGAIN!"  
  
Vonotar let out a horrified gasp and his face contorted into a look of complete shock. He had thought that his cunning traps and plans would have gotten rid of those two. He fumbled with his black staff while both Ranma and Banedon started to rush toward Vonotar before he had the chance to do anything.   
  
"Ranma, we must prevent him from using his magic against us, and we have to act fast if we are to overpower him and capture him alive," Banedon shouted to Ranma as they ran across the hall.  
  
Ranma nodded at Banedon's warning, and by the time they reached the edge of the plateau, Vonotar had managed to regain his composure and had pressed a hidden panel on the arm of the throne. There was a brief noise, sounding like something was moving, and Ranma was wondering where it was coming from. A wide circle of blocks descended around the throne, causing a huge gap between them and Vonotar, in which a deep moat was forming.  
  
From the depths of the moat, they could hear a ghastly, inhuman gibbering, and they all knew that this wasn't good as they prepared themselves for anything well, almost anything. They were totally unprepared for the horror that now faced them.  
  
"Wild Horse, Banedon, Loi-Kymar, I want you to meet my special friend." Vonotar smirked evilly.  
  
From out of the dark slithered a huge, ghoulish, green monster. Its deformed head was a mass of tentacles and suckers that oozed a putrid black slime. At the centre of this writhing mass, a hideous yellow eye pulsated. Vonotar directed the monster towards the trio.  
  
"Akraa'Neonor," whispered Banedon.  
  
"A what?" Ranma asked Banedon.  
  
"Ranma, that monster is an Akraa'Neonor, an undead creature that is created from dark magic and quite popular among dark Necromancers," Banedon explained.  
  
Seeing Vonotar trying to make his escape through a secret passage, Ranma instantly knew what to do. Looking over to Banedon, he asked him,   
  
"Banedon, can you and Loi-Kymar take care of that creature while I try to get Vonotar before he makes his escape?"   
  
"Sure. We must get Vonotar or our mission will have been all for nothing," Banedon replied as he and Loi-Kymar started to blast the undead beast with lightning bolts and fireballs.  
  
Seeing that those two could take care of the monster, Ranma did a running jump across the wide moat, leaving Banedon and Loi-Kymar on the other side. Looking up, Ranma could see Vonotar standing near the throne with some sort of crystal rod held high in his hand.  
  
"Now, Wild Horse, you will die!"   
  
'This guy never gives up, does he?' Ranma thought as he raced towards the traitorous wizard.  
  
Vonotar took a careful aim and chilling cones of frost started to form at the end of his rod. He then hurled them from the tip of his crystal rod at Ranma. Ranma instantly pointed the Sommerswerd towards Vonotar's crystal rod, and in an instant the cone of frost arced away as it shattered against the golden sword.   
  
"Damn you, Wild Horse, and your cursed blade!" hissed Vonotar as he dropped his crystal rod and pulled a black rod from out of his robes.  
  
Ranma went to close in on Vonotar when he felt his feet becoming heavier and heavier, and soon they were stuck to the floor. Ranma realised that Vonotar had cast some sort of petrifying spell with his black rod. Slowly the petrifying spell started to creep up his leg and through his body, and Ranma knew that he had little time left before he would be turned completely to stone.  
  
Vonotar was smirking as he watched Ranma slowly turning to stone.  
  
"Soon, Wild Horse, you will be part of my collection of stone statues," Vonotar smirked as he pointed to a stone statue of the Brumalmarc.  
  
'There is no way I'm going to be a garden ornament!' Ranma thought as he saw what he could become in a few minutes if he didn't act fast enough.  
  
Ranma suddenly had an idea, and started to goad Vonotar into unleashing his most powerful spell at him. Ranma started to throw insults, mocking Vonotar's plans and his magical abilities in order to anger the wizard. Vonotar finally snapped when Ranma started to mention the curse that Ranko had given him, saying that he never became half the man he was, and other insults that usually come with a gender changing curse.  
  
"SILENCE, PUNY MORTAL! NO ONE MOCKS THE GREAT VONOTAR! FOR THAT YOU DESERVE A SLOW AND PAINFUL DEATH!" Vonotar threatened as he pointed his black rod of power at Ranma.  
  
Vonotar started to gather all his dark energies for a split second as he channelled his energies through his black rod and uttered a powerful magic spell. A bolt of utterly black lightning leapt from his finger towards Ranma's chest.  
  
Ranma still had his left arm working, though the petrifying spell had reached his right arm and up to his waist. Quickly pulling out the crystal from his tunic, Ranma pointed it at Vonotar.  
  
'Boy, won't he be in for a nasty shock of his life!" thought Ranma. The black bolt was attracted towards the crystal and struck it.  
  
Vonotar instantly recognised the crystal that Ranma had taken out and had only enough time to throw up a magical shield before it killed him. The crystal glowed for a second, and then there was a deafening noise of crackling electricity as the bolt seemed to extend back, linking the crystal and the black rod that Vonotar was holding. The result was a large explosion, sending Vonotar flying across the hall and into the moat.   
  
This caused Vonotar's petrifying spell to be broken, and Ranma's body started to revert back from stone to normal, taking about minute or so for him to fully recover. Once Ranma had regained his strength and mobility, he rushed over to the edge of the moat where Vonotar was floating in the dark murky water and checked his pulse. He breathed a sign of relief that Vonotar was still alive. Luckily, his magical shield had prevented his spell from killing him outright, but it wasn't enough to block the spell completely as the sheer power of the spell had sent him flying and knocked him unconscious.   
  
Dragging the now female wizard, Ranma started to tie up Vonotar with rope, removing his rings and amulets while binding his hands together to prevent him from casting any more spells. Once he made sure that Vonotar wouldn't escape, Ranma looked over his shoulder to see that Guildmaster Loi-Kymar and Banedon were having a bit of difficulty dealing with the undead monster. Gripping the pommel of the Sommerswerd, Ranma leaped over the moat to help Banedon and Loi-Kymar, who were looking a completely exhausted. The blade of the Sommerswerd started to glow, as one of its specialities was that the blade was deadly to the undead, and an Akraa'Neonor is one of the undead - which made life a bit easier when dealing with the monster.  
  
Once they had dispatched the undead beast, the trio was exhausted, and they just sat around in the hall of the Brumalmarc. Loi-Kymar approached the moat that separated the hall and Ranma noticed him hurling a handful of powdered herbs into it. Within seconds, a mass of vines and creepers had coiled upwards, forming a bridge across the moat to where the tied up Vonotar was and to other end of the Brumalmarc's hall.  
  
"Wild Horse, where is Vonotar?" Loi-Kymar said. The only person he could see was a hunchbacked female tied up next to the throne.  
  
He feared that Vonotar had escaped their grasp and would return to threaten Sommerlund again.  
  
"Don't worry, Guildmaster. That's Vonotar." Ranma pointed to the unconscious female.  
  
Loi-Kymar walked to the unconscious Vonotar and kneeled down to examine her to see if this was indeed the traitorous Vonotar. He could see the similarities, and she was indeed wearing the same outfit that Vonotar had been wearing before.  
  
"This does look like Vonotar a little bit, but it's hard to tell," Loi-Kymar said after close examination.  
  
"You have got to be kidding?" Banedon said, not believing his eyes.  
  
"I'm afraid not. You see, that poor guy has a unique problem with the temperature of water. Remember that accident in Toran with one of your fellow apprentices?" Ranma reminded Banedon.  
  
"Oh yes, I remember now; but that was a accident. Who would have done such an awful thing to him?" Banedon asked.  
  
"Why do you want to know?" enquired Ranma, worried that Banedon looked as if he was about to take pity on him despite all the trouble they been through.  
  
"Well, I just want to thank him or her for doing such a good job. He deserves everything he gets!" Banedon laughed, and soon Ranma joined in the laughter, which died down after a few moments  
  
"Let's be serious for a minute. Is the curse permanent? It's going to be hard persuading the Sommlending crowds that she is Vonotar," asked Banedon.  
  
"His curse is reversible, but you need hot water to revert her into a him," Ranma replied.  
  
Wondering if this was true or not, Banedon started to heat up some water that he had in his canteen with a small fire spell. Once the water was hot enough, he poured it over Vonotar. Ranma was indeed right, as the water changed the female wizard into Vonotar, who woke up in shock as the water was bit too hot.   
  
"ARRRRRAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGH!" Vonotar cried out.  
  
After that, Vonotar started to moan and curse at Ranma and Banedon for the treatment he was getting.  
  
"Ranma, would you mind shutting him up?"   
  
"Sure, he's been getting on my nerves anyway." Ranma quickly gave Vonotar a swift hit to the head, knocking him out.  
  
"Ah! Here she is!" the old magician eventually cried out triumphantly.  
  
"What did find, Guildmaster?" Banedon asked Loi-Kymar who had been busy searching for something amongst the tangle of vines at the base of the throne.  
  
"My Guildstaff, my young apprentice," replied Loi-Kymar. "Ah, I see that you have Vonotar tied up. Well done, Wild Horse. We would not want him to miss his special home-coming to Sommerlund," Loi-Kymar said.  
  
Ranma walked over to Loi-Kymar and handed him his map of Kalte, pointing out the position of the ship the Cardonal. "Here Guildmaster, you may need this?" Ranma said.  
  
"I'll not be needing that," he replied. "Maps are invariably wrong; I prefer to rely on my own sense of direction. Come, Wild Horse, and my young apprentice; it's time that we leave this place."  
  
Ranma dragged Vonotar by his collar, kicking and screaming along the way at the way he was being treated. Ranma had to resort to knocking Vonotar out cold with a swift punch, as his whining and screaming was beginning to annoy him, before he joined Banedon and Loi-Kymar. Seeing that everyone was present, the Guildmaster spoke.  
  
"Ready?" Ranma and Banedon nodded in acknowledgement.  
  
Loi-Kymar raised his Guildstaff and a dazzling beam of light flowed from its tip. He made three wide sweeps of the air and the Hall of the Brumalmarc was transformed in an umbrella of light.  
  
*End of Flashback*  
  
"...The captain of the Cardonal was surprised at our quick return. He then congratulated us on our success in capturing Vonotar and rescuing Guildmaster Loi-Kymar. The rest of the journey back to Anskavern was swift and uneventful." Ranma finished telling his story to Braxus and Ranko, both of whom were listening to every word with keen interest.  
  
"When we arrived in Anskavern, we were greeted by an anxious crowd including Aunt Saria. They had feared that our early arrival was a sign of our failure, but their attitude soon changed when Vonotar was escorted off the Cardonal," Banedon added.  
  
"So what happened to Vonotar afterwards?" Braxus asked.  
  
"We eventually secured him in Toran. On the dawn of the feast of Maesmarn, in the depths of the Guildhall of the Crystal Star, Vonotar the Traitor was tried by his brotherhood and unanimously found guilty of his terrible crimes. As his punishment, he was cast into the limbo of Daziarn," explained Banedon, who had been there when the Brotherhood had given their verdict.  
  
"Banedon, what is this Daziarn you talk about?" asked Ranma.  
  
"The Daziarn is an astral world which exists outside Aon. We have a portal in the Guildhall that leads to this dimension, a portal of total darkness, the door of an eternal prison from which there can be no escape," Banedon replied.  
  
"Well at least the traitor has been dealt with. He won't be bothering us in the near future," Braxus said.   
  
Ranko and Banedon nodded to Braxus' statement, though not Ranma. Something was bothering him that they hadn't seen the last of Vonotar, but he decided not to say anything to ruin this special occasion.  
  
After the dinner, Braxus got up from where he sitting and walked over to Kalona's perch before stretching out his right arm. Once the blue bird was securely perched on his arm, he made his way back to the table.  
  
"Hey Banedon, it's getting dark now. Let me show you to your room. This monastery can be a little confusing, and you may get lost along the way," Braxus suggested.  
  
Banedon had a look of confusion at Braxus' statement. Ranma was giving his brother an odd look, trying to figure what he was trying to do.  
  
"But you've already shown me my... err... of course, Braxus, lead the way." Banedon finally caught the hidden meaning of his statement.  
  
Getting up, Banedon left the table and started to follow Braxus out of the hall leaving Ranma and Ranko all alone. Before the door fully closed behind him, Braxus popped his head round the door.  
  
"Hey you two, don't do anything that I wouldn't do," Braxus joked as he closed the door.  
  
Ranma turned a little red with embarrassment at Braxus' suggestion. Ranko turned her attention back to Ranma, a little confused.  
  
"What you suppose he meant by that?" asked Ranko.  
  
"Err... well, you see... he's always doing that... you know, trying to embarrass me in front of people," Ranma manage to say, struggling to keep his composure.  
  
'She sure is beautiful, especially in that dress,' Ranma thought.  
  
"Oh?" Ranko simply replied.  
  
There was a moment of silence between them until Ranma noticed that there was a full moon and there would be enough light from them to walk around the monastery. Deciding to break the silence and increasing tension, Ranma got up from where he sitting.  
  
"Ranko, would you mind if we go for a walk around the monastery?" Ranma managed to say without messing up his lines.  
  
Ranko looked up to see Ranma giving his trademark smile as he offered his arm.  
  
"Of course not. Besides, it's a lovely evening, isn't it?" Ranko smiled brightly as she accepted Ranma's offer and quickly looped her arm around his.   
  
Ranma nodded and led her outside the hall and out into the courtyard.  
  
'Perfect,' Ranko thought, snuggling up to Ranma as they both enjoyed the wonderful evening. The good thing was that Ranma wasn't getting all tense or nervous to her affections, which was a good sign of things to come.   
  
As the couple walked around the courtyard of the Kai Monastery, they were being watched for a brief moment. Watching them from afar on the balcony were Braxus, Kalona and Banedon. They could just see Ranma offering his coat to Ranko, having noticed that she was a bit cold.  
  
"You know, that's not a nice thing to do to your brother?" Banedon asked.  
  
Braxus just smirked.   
  
"Well it's about time Ranma did something, and besides, look at those two. Don't you think they make a nice couple? Besides, he probably deserves it the most considering his previous life." Braxus pointed to where Ranma and Ranko were standing on the monastery wall.  
  
"I suppose you're right. We should leave them alone for the moment. Let's go in, it's getting cold, and you still haven't beaten me at chess yet!"  
  
"But I want to see how they are... oh never mind. All right, Banedon, I accept your challenge. But this time I will beat you," Braxus replied, realising it wasn't his business to intrude.  
  
"We shall see, we shall see," Banedon said as they walked back from the balcony into the main chamber.  
  
TBC...  
  
*** 


	15. Chapter 12

Ranma/Lone Wolf Crossover Fanfiction  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma 1/2 or the Lone Wolf Series or any other characters. The rights to Ranma 1/2 belong to Rumiko Takahashi and the Lone Wolf Series belong to Joe Dever. This story is created solely for entertainment purposes and no profit as gained from this.   
  
Note.  
Kai Names:  
* Ranma Stormgard (Saotome) - Wild Horse  
* Braxus Stormgard - Swift Blade  
  
Wild Horse of Kai  
  
By Montymouse  
  
' ' - Thought  
" " - Speech  
  
Chapter Twelve - A Diplomatic Situation  
  
***  
  
Sommerlund  
  
The entire region of Sommerlund was covered in a light blanket of snow as the winter season started to settle in. The amount of snow fallen on the region was the highest ever recorded, and people were finding it difficult to perform the simplest of tasks due to the knee-deep snow. Practically everyone in Sommerlund was wishing for spring to arrive, except for the children who were currently enjoying the winter period. Luckily, the Sommlending people had already prepared in advance for winter, having gathered and stored enough food for them to survive till spring. Despite the knee-deep snow, the Sommlending people were determined to try their best to continue their daily routines and keep business as normal as possible.   
  
Just outside the capital city, near the main highway that connected all of the towns and villages of Sommerlund, two individuals were travelling toward Holmgard. Along the highway there were people trying to clear the road to allow traders and travellers to move between towns and villages, as some of the narrow roads to the more remote places were snowed in. As the two travellers travelled along the path, they were given many praises and welcomes as the people instantly recognised their Kai cloaks and uniforms.   
  
Just ahead of them, they could see the tall and thin towers of Holmgard.   
  
"Tell me again why we have to travel to Holmgard?" Ranma enquired of his companion.  
  
"Hang on sec."   
  
Braxus pulled out a scroll from his saddlebag and started to unfurl it. Ranma noticed that the scroll had the seal of King Ulnar, marking it as something important. Kalona, Braxus' companion, was flying ahead of them so that they wouldn't get lost; despite Braxus' attempts at using his Tracking skills, he was still trying to perfect them and the weather conditions were making it hard to pinpoint their location.  
  
"Hmm..." Braxus read the scroll twice more to make sure he understood fully its meaning.  
  
"Well... what does it say?" enquired Ranma as he waved to some people working in the fields.  
  
"According to the royal scroll, we are hereby summoned by King Ulnar to attended an important diplomatic meeting at his palace in Holmgard as soon as possible. At the bottom, the scroll is dated and signed by the king himself," Braxus explained, passing the scroll to Ranma.  
  
Ranma quickly read the scroll.  
  
"It says here that the King requests our help in solving an urgent problem of great diplomatic importance. Don't you think it's kinda inappropriate for us to attend this meeting?"  
  
"So? We are obligated to serve Sommerlund and the King in any way possible."  
  
"That wasn't what I meant."   
  
"What did you mean then?" Braxus enquired.  
  
"I mean that we are best suited to the field of war and peacekeeping rather than parleying with foreign envoys and conducting diplomatic situations. Surely the King has enough foreign ambassadors and envoys to sort this out," Ranma explained.  
  
Braxus looked at Ranma in an odd way at his clear explanation.  
  
"Well, I'm surprised at your sense of logic, Ranma," Braxus commented.  
  
Ranma smiled a little at Braxus' encouraging comment.  
  
"And here I thought you were all brute force and no brains. It's good to see you are using your brain for once, little brother," Braxus teased.  
  
"I'm only a year younger than you, it doesn't mean you can... hey wait up!" Ranma realised that Braxus had somehow pulled ahead of him as he had quickly increased his pace.  
  
"Braxus, will you stop that, it's getting a bit annoying now every time you do that!" Ranma said as he caught up with him.  
  
"Now where was I? Oh yes, what do you think about this situation?" Ranma asked.  
  
Braxus shrugged. "It sounds like a harmless request; and besides, it can't be too much trouble."  
  
"Like a walk in a park," Ranma said to liven up the atmosphere.  
  
"Please define your version of a walk in a park as it's definitely not what I imagine it to be!" Braxus enquired.   
  
"What do you mean?" Ranma asked with a look of confusion.  
  
"Well, every time you say that phrase, I first assume it to be a simple and easy; but your version seems to mean something totally different!"  
  
Ranma was totally confused by Braxus' statement.  
  
"Ranma, every time you say that phrase, something strange happens, even on the most straightforward mission, and one thing I notice is that it's never a walk in a park. Usually it involves us dealing with renegade lords, undead sorcerers or people who want us dead. Do you understand what I am saying?" Braxus said.   
  
Ranma was beginning to understand. "Err... yes."   
  
"Good. Now do you remember the incident a few months ago, you know the one where we were meant to recover that important amulet and you dropped me right into the chamber full of snakes?" Braxus replied, trying to jog Ranma's memory.   
  
Ranma thought about it for a minute or so. "Hey, I said I was sorry! It was not entirely my fault!"   
  
"You were supposed to hold on to the rope while I went down to retrieve the amulet. I was damn lucky that I managed to hold on to something!" Braxus reminded his brother as he rubbed his left shoulder, which was still hurting a little. He had managed to dislocate his shoulder as he fell. Ranma had then just managed to grab hold of the rope and had stopped his brother from falling into the pit of poisonous snakes.   
  
"You survived, didn't you? I'd like to see you fend off a dozen fanatic warriors with one arm while holding on to the rope with the other," Ranma said, trying to explain his situation.   
  
"Alright Ranma, I'll let this one slide for now; but the next time, warn me first before you let go of the rope," Braxus sighed.  
  
'At least we retrieved the amulet. Never a dull moment with Ranma,' Braxus thought.  
  
Ranma then had a sudden thought.  
  
"You don't suppose it had something to do with the Ruanon incident last year?" Ranma said.  
  
"Maybe but we won't know until we get to the King's citadel," Braxus said.   
  
"Kalona, how far to go to till we reach Holmgard?" Braxus called out to his feathered companion who was flying high above them.  
  
*Not too far, master; I can just see the tall towers and city walls of the capital,* Kalona communicated telepathically.  
  
"What did it say?" Ranma asked Braxus, still unable to work out the language that Kalona was using despite using his Animal Kinship abilities.  
  
Braxus looked at Ranma with a cross expression.  
  
"Ranma, Kalona is not an IT, but a she, and she is my companion," Braxus said.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry. I will try remember that in the future," Ranma apologised.  
  
Braxus nodded at Ranma's apology.  
  
*Master, what did Lord Ranma say?* asked Kalona as she flew in and perched herself on Braxus' right shoulder.  
  
"Ranma just said he sorry for calling you an it," Braxus replied.  
  
*Oh, that's all right as long as he is sorry,* Kalona communicated back to her master.  
  
"So what did she say?" Ranma asked, sensing some sort of psychic energy or language between the two.  
  
"She said that your apology is accepted and that Holmgard is not too far from here," Braxus said.  
  
"All right then, we'd better get there fast before it starts to snow again," Ranma said as they started to increase the pace.  
  
***  
  
Holmgard  
  
It took Ranma and Braxus about half an hour to get to the city of Holmgard and it took them another few minutes to travel to the centre of the capital where the King's Citadel was located. Just outside the Citadel stood Captain D'Val who was waiting patiently for the two Kai Masters to show up. Seeing the two Kai warriors making their way down the snow-covered street, he greeted them warmly and quickly led them inside as the King was expecting them. Leading them through the royal hall of the citadel, they eventually reached the Grand Hall of the State. Along the way D'Val briefly informed them of the current situation so that by the time they reached the throne room, they would be fully prepared and informed.   
  
Captain D'Val's explanation had confirmed Ranma's assumption that it was indeed something to do with the Ruanon incident a year ago. Apparently the imperial ruler of Vassagonia had realised the implications of Baron Barraka's actions and had sent his most trusted envoy to seek a treaty of peace between the two countries. Upon reaching the Hall of the State, Ranma noticed that the seat next to the King where Price Pelethar sat was empty. D'Val explained that the prince was in Durenor on a royal diplomatic mission. D'Val hinted that it was something more than a simple royal duty, mentioning something about Pelethar's relationship with King Alin's daughter.  
  
During the royal audience, Braxus had to keep poking or nudging Ranma in the ribs as he tried to keep awake, though it seemed that he was fighting a losing battle. The audience between the envoy and the King was really boring in Ranma's opinion: the envoy was constantly speaking as the King listened. Ranma was wondering if the guy was even human as he didn't seem be breathing at all.  
  
"Your majesty, a thousand apologies for the incident in Ruanon, the Zakhan is gravely embarrassed by Barraka's foul treachery," the Envoy said.  
  
Ranma coughed a few times for no apparent reason; Braxus sighed quietly as he was trying to remain calm and composed despite his acute hearing having heard what Ranma was whispering during his coughing. Captain D'Val was smirking a little as he guessed what Ranma was doing; he nodded slightly at Ranma.  
  
'Ranma, will you stop acting like a child.'   
  
Then Braxus noticed that everyone was waiting for Ranma to finish. Braxus gave him another elbow in the ribs to stop it. Seeing that he had finished the envoy continued.  
  
"The Zakhan denies any involvement concerning Baron Barraka. The Zakhan is most anxious that our friendship and trust be restored." The envoy started to grovel and bow in front of the King.  
  
King Ulnar slowly rose up from his throne.  
  
"Tell your Zakhan I will be sending an envoy to Vassagonia to sign the treaty. The matter is now closed; you are dismissed." The King saw the envoy's nervous expression and noted that he wasn't leaving the throne room.  
  
"Is there anything else, envoy?" Ulnar asked, wondering what he was waiting for.  
  
"Your majesty, the Zakhan have stated a condition in the signing of the peace treaty."   
  
Ulnar sat back down and gestured to go on.  
  
"The Zakhan have requested the presence of Kai Lords Wild Horse and Swift Blade to sign the treaty of peace with him at the Grand Palace in Barrakeesh," whimpered the Zakhan's emissary as he knelt at the feet of King Ulnar.  
  
Ranma thought he had taken lessons from his former father Genma as he was doing a very good impression of the Saotome technique Möko Rakuchi-sei (fierce tiger falling down forces). Ranma could see the King's look of distaste at the fawning envoy as he tried to conceal it.  
  
Ulnar sat down once more as he considered the envoy's request.  
  
"Before I accept your condition, tell me why your Zakhan requested the presence of our Kai Lords?"   
  
The envoy stopped his groveling and stood up straight.  
  
"The Zakhan wants the best of the best in all of Sommerlund. The presence of two highly respected individuals will boost his public status and reduce the potential embarrassment."   
  
Braxus asked Ranma if he was telling the truth as Ranma had better senses at detecting lies. Ranma nodded.  
  
The King rose up from his seat again and gave his answer. "Very well, Lords Wild Horse and Swift Blade will accompany you to Vassagonia."  
  
"If that is alright with you Kai Masters?" he said to Ranma and Braxus.  
  
They both nodded slightly. The King nodded back. "You are now dismissed, Envoy."   
  
Ulnar then left the Hall of the State and gestured to Ranma and Braxus to follow him to the privacy of his personal chamber. Upon entering the King's chamber, the King asked Ranma to close the door as he sat down in his chair.  
  
"Wild Horse and Swift Blade, there is no need to stand up. Please take a seat," Ulnar asked the two Kai Lords having noticed that Ranma and Braxus were still standing in front of him.  
  
Pulling up a chair each, Ranma and Braxus sat down as Ulnar began to discuss the proposal from the Zakhan's emissary.   
  
"I have no liking for this desert realm, Wild Horse, Swift Blade. But I like the prospect of war even less. Since the defeat of Darklord's forces a couple of years of ago, I have decided that my people deserve peace and a better future for generations to come."  
  
Ulnar then looked towards his window and saw that it was snowing heavily outside. He sighed deeply for a few moments before turning his gaze on Ranma and Braxus.  
  
"The current Zakhan is old and frail, and has no son to claim his throne when he dies. Barraka was but one of the many ruthless nobles who wait like jackals for the chance to seize power, and I fear they grow too impatient to allow the Zakhan to die a natural death," King Ulnar said.  
  
Both Ranma and Braxus nodded at the King's statement in full understanding of the implications of this situation.  
  
"Your majesty, you think that once the Zakhan had passed away, one of the ruthless nobles may take power and announced that he is one of the Darklord's agent and invade Sommerlund," Braxus said.  
  
The King nodded at Braxus' assumption as he confirmed his worst fears.  
  
"You are correct, Swift Blade. We cannot fight against two forces from the west and the south, as we do not have sufficient men or arms to defend our country. I fear that the way he dies will not be a natural death. Our forces have not been at full strength ever since the Darklord's invasion, and this treaty may not guarantee peace with Vassagonia once the Zakhan is dead, but it will at least buy us precious time to strengthen our southern borders," King Ulnar explained to Ranma and Braxus.  
  
The King then rose from his seat and walked over to the window and pointed towards the harbour, barely visible through the falling snow. Wondering what the King was pointing at, Ranma and Braxus got up from where they were sitting and joined the King at the window porch.  
  
There was a Vassagonian galley anchored close to the harbour wall.  
  
"Go to Vassagonia, Wild Horse, Swift Blade. Sign the treaty and return quickly. Even with the promise of peace, I fear the shadow of war will fall upon us before the year is out."  
  
Ranma could sense the sadness in his tone of voice. He, too, didn't want a war to happen in Sommerlund again; not after seeing the destruction caused by the last one. Looking to his left, he saw Braxus nodding as he accepted the King's decision.  
  
Soon after, the King dismissed the two Kai Masters from his chamber, leaving him alone to quietly reflect on the situation. Walking down the lavish corridor furnished with paintings and hangings, Ranma decided to ask his brother a question.  
  
"So what do you think?" Ranma asked.  
  
"I have a bad feeling about this trip to Vassagonia," Braxus replied.  
  
"Oh lighten up! It's only a treaty signing. The good thing is that at least the weather will be a bit warmer than here. It's bloody freezing here!" Ranma said, trying to lighten the atmosphere.  
  
Braxus started to chuckle a bit at Ranma's humour.  
  
"You never let anything dampen your spirit?" Braxus asked.  
  
"Nope, I take everything as a challenge and the one thing I am good at is that I never lose at a challenge," Ranma proudly said.  
  
"I wish I had your enthusiasm and spirit. Well, the sooner we sign the treaty, the sooner we can return home," Braxus said.  
  
Ranma nodded as Braxus' statement as they continued to walk down the corridor that would lead them outside the citadel and to the Vassagonian vessel anchored in the harbour.  
  
***  
  
Somewhere between Sommerlund and Barrakeesh  
  
For twenty-one days the Vassagonian galley had continued its steady journey towards the Empire of Vassagonia, their destination being the grand port of Barrakeesh. The long sea journey was quite an uneventful and monotonous voyage, which made a change for once as previous sea journeys had always contained some strange or weird happenings for our two Kai Masters. On board the ship was Ranma, leaning against the port side railing as he watched the horizon for any trouble. Braxus was currently talking to the Captain and the Envoy about something. Braxus' companion Kalona was perched high above in the crow's nest. Many of the Vassagonian sailors stared at her with awe and thought that she was some sort of God's messenger. Kalona subsequently decided that it would be best to stay in the crow's nest to avoid further distractions.   
  
To pass the time, Braxus was trying to learn the Vassagonian language, as it was something he could do and it would be helpful for when they arrived in Barrakeesh. So far he had mastered the basic language in a few days and he was currently quite good at it. Ranma, on the other hand, didn't really need to learn the language, as he perfectly understood what they were saying and could speak it quite well due to Ishir's translation spell that she had placed upon him when he had first arrived. Ranma just practised his skills and martial arts abilities to pass the time that and the occasional card game with the sailors.  
  
Braxus had just finished his conversation with the Captain and the Envoy. Seeing Ranma leaning against the railing, he walked over to him to see if he was all right.  
  
"How are things going?" Braxus asked.  
  
"Bored." Ranma shrugged, still watching the sunset on the horizon.  
  
Braxus smiled.  
  
"Well... I got some good news: the Captain says we should reach Barrakeesh first thing in the morning as long as we continue our current course and speed," Braxus said.  
  
Ranma nodded slightly.  
  
"At least the weather here is warm," Ranma said.  
  
"Very true, but I think the weather in Sommerlund will have cleared up by now and I can't wait to return home."   
  
"Same here; I'm starting to get a little homesick."   
  
"Don't worry, Ranma, it's just going to be a simple signing and we'll be home before you know it," Braxus reassured his brother.  
  
Seeing there wasn't much sunlight, Braxus decided it was time to rest now so he would be fully refreshed tomorrow.  
  
"Ranma, are you coming? It's getting dark and we should be ready for anything when we arrive in Barrakeesh," Braxus said halfway down the steps.  
  
Kalona saw that her master was going below decks and silently flew down from her perch and onto Braxus' shoulder.  
  
"I'll be there in moment," Ranma replied. Braxus nodded and went below decks.  
  
Ranma turned around and watched the blue ocean for a while longer. He silently hoped that everything would be as straightforward and as simple as his brother had said, but he knew something bad going to happen. Anyway, Ranma was a Kai Master and he should be able to take care of anything thrown at him considering the level of training he had received.   
  
After that, Ranma went below decks as the ship sailed through the night.  
  
***  
  
The Gulf of Vassagonia - near the Capital of Barrakeesh  
  
First thing in the morning, the breathtaking sight of the desert capital greeted Ranma and Braxus. Normally a telescope would be required to actually see the capital, as they were still quite far away. With his keen eyesight, Ranma could easily see the capital: the golden domes, minarets and green tiled roofs shimmering beneath the desert sun, and the splendour of the Grand Palace, which dominated this magnificent city on the horizon.   
  
Braxus didn't have the keen eyesight of his brother had so he borrow the telescope from the captain and noticed something odd: every golden turret of the palace fluttered a long, black pennant which in his experience usually meant something bad had happened.  
  
Wondering what the black flag actually meant, he asked the envoy who was standing next to him, "What do those flags stand for?"  
  
"Lord Swift Blade, may I borrow the telescope? I don't possess keen eyesight like Lord Wild Horse."   
  
Braxus handed him the captain's telescope.  
  
The envoy looked through the telescope and focused on the Grand Palace. Braxus noticed the horrified expression that appeared on his face as he realised the implications of those black flags.  
  
"By the spirit of the Majhan! He is dead... The Zakhan is dead!" the envoy cried out.  
  
'Just great, the Zakhan is dead. I wonder who his replacement is?' Ranma thought, knowing their task was going to be even more difficult. Now they had to face the newly crowned Zakhan and, if he didn't want peace, then there would be problems.  
  
Braxus prayed that the peace treaty would go smoothly and hoped that it would be honoured by the Zakhan's successor; but judging from the horrified expression of the envoy, probably not. Braxus then told Kalona to hide and use her invisibility veil to avoid detection just in case it turned out to be something ugly.  
  
Finally, after an hour or so, the ship arrived in the harbour of Barrakeesh and the two Kai Masters were treated to an odd sight. Usually at this time and day, the harbour would be full of activity, but today it looked more like a ghost town than a functioning harbour. The harbour was almost completely deserted apart from a handful of citizens, clad in black, ringing the funeral bell. Ranma realised that the city was in mourning as the bell echoed throughout the harbour.  
  
Once the ship was finally anchored in the harbour, the two Kai Masters and the envoy walked down the gangplank. Then they saw a horse-drawn carriage escorted by an armoured cavalry unit of the Palace Guards enter the harbour through the eastern point.  
  
"I guess that's the welcoming company?" Braxus joked.  
  
"At least they're prompt," Ranma replied, but silently he reached for the hilt of his sword. He had a bad feeling about the situation.  
  
The carriage then halted in front of the two Masters and the envoy. The envoy stepped towards the carriage as a dour man dressed in a turquoise robe stepped out of it. He greeted the two Kai Masters. The moment the man stepped out of the carriage, Ranma's Sixth Sense was telling him that the man couldn't be trusted and that he had a more sinister motive. Looking to his left, he saw that his brother was already reaching for the shortsword concealed within his cloak. Braxus nodded slightly to Ranma to indicate that this could be trouble.  
  
The man stopped a few metres in front of the two Kai Masters and bowed.  
  
"A thousand greetings, Wild Horse and Swift Blade. I am Maouk, and I welcome you to our city on behalf of my master, his most sublime magnificence, Zakhan Kimah." Maouk grinned evilly.  
  
The envoy gasped, not in surprise, but in complete shock upon hearing the name of the new Zakhan. Quickly he spun around to warn Ranma and Braxus, his eyes wild with fear, and shouted a warning to them.  
  
"It's a trap! You must... ACK!"  
  
His warning was cut short by the blade of Maouk's dagger imbedded in his back. Ranma and Braxus were already prepared and quickly unsheathed their weapons from beneath their cloaks to demand why he had killed the envoy.  
  
"Why did you have to kill him!" Braxus demanded.  
  
Maouk smirked and snapped his fingers as scores of black clad warriors emerged from the shadows like ninja. They were Vassagonian elite guard, the Sharnazim.  
  
"Take them!" shouted Maouk. 'But I want them both alive."  
  
"So much for a peaceful mission," Braxus said sarcastically.  
  
"There's too many of them, we're surrounded!" Ranma replied as he quickly counted the number of Sharnazim warriors.  
  
"I can see that! What do you suggest we do?" Braxus said.  
  
"Well, I'm not surrendering to those guys; I'm fighting my way out." Ranma leapt towards the nearest Sharnazim warrior.   
  
Braxus nodded and immediately joined the fray.  
  
Ranma and Braxus bolted along the harbour after dispatching a couple of Sharnazim warriors, overturning various objects and stalls to slow down their pursuers. The Sharnazim warriors were still in pursuit, but were finding it very difficult to keep track of them.  
  
Then a Sharnazim decided to take care of them with his bow. Going down to one knee to steady his aim, he took aim at Ranma and released the bowstring. Braxus looked over his shoulder and saw the danger that Ranma was in and immediately leapt into him, pushing him out of the path of the arrow. The arrow missed Ranma but struck Braxus in the left shoulder.  
  
"Arrraaggg!"   
  
Braxus clutched his left shoulder as pain flooded through his body, and blood started to pour out from the wound. Ranma immediately got up and pulled out the arrow, using his Healing skills to mend the wound as cleanly as possible. Maouk walked over to the Sharnazim warrior who fired that arrow and thrust his jagged sword in the warrior's stomach for disobeying his orders. He wanted the two Kai Lords alive.   
  
"Come on, Braxus, we have to go." Ranma tried to help his brother up.  
  
"Ranma, I want you to go. I will take care of them as you make you're escape," Braxus said as he leaned against the cargo boxes for support.  
  
"But Braxus, you're injured, you need medical attention. And besides, I'm not leaving you here," Ranma said as concern and worry flooded across his face.  
  
"Don't worry, I'm going to be just fine and I'm relying on you to get me out of this situation; besides, he wants us alive. Now GO!" Braxus said as he turned around to face the on coming warriors.   
  
Seeing that he had no choice, Ranma immediately sprinted back towards the galley. Looking over his shoulder he could Braxus putting up a brave fight against overwhelming odds despite his injured shoulder. He managed to dispatch six of the elite bodyguards before he was overpowered. He was almost there when the Sharnazim warrior on horseback blocked his path and charged towards Ranma with his spear.   
  
He was easily dispatched by Ranma's martial arts skills as he leapt at him and gave him a swift kick to his head, sending him crashing off his horse. By the time he got up, he could see a dozen more henchmen on his tail from all angles. Thinking quickly, Ranma immediately dived into the deep, murky waters, hoping to escape capture by the Sharnazim. Hopefully he would rescue his brother and find out the intention of the new Zakhan.   
  
Meanwhile...  
  
Braxus was looking quite beaten up as the Sharnazim warriors quickly restrained him. His weapons and equipment were removed before Maouk approached him, cleaning his sword with a cloth. He looked at Braxus and smirked evilly as he stared directly in his eyes.   
  
"You are brave, very brave, but also very foolish, Kai Lord," said Maouk in a mocking tone, "but you will need more than bravery to save you now as our new Zakhan has something special for you and the other Kai Lord."   
  
"Wild Horse will save me," Braxus said.  
  
"Ha, that's a joke! He will soon be captured just like you. What can one man do against an entire empire?" Maouk mocked as he applied pressure on Braxus' wounded shoulder.  
  
Braxus kept a stern face as he tried to keep himself from crying out despite the pain he was feeling.   
  
"You don't know what Ranma is capable of," Braxus managed to whisper as he tried to struggle against his restraints and cope with the pain.  
  
"I had hoped you would have done something better than let yourself be captured so easily," mocked Maouk as he signalled to his henchmen.  
  
Braxus was knocked unconscious by one of his henchman and was roughly pushed into the waiting carriage. Maouk turned towards his captain.  
  
"Find and capture the other Kai Lord, tear up the whole city if you have to, but I want him alive, do you understand?" ordered Maouk.  
  
The captain nodded as the Sharnazim troops went out and searched every inch of the dock, trying to surround the quay and prevent Ranma from escaping from the harbour.   
  
"Back to the palace at once!" commanded Maouk as he climbed aboard and slammed the door. "The Zakhan awaits his prize."  
  
***  
  
Ranma managed to avoid Maouk's henchmen's attempts to trap him in the harbour and was currently hiding behind a covered skiff. Looking around, Ranma could see Maouk's men everywhere, racing along the harbour walls, their eyes searching the water for any sign of the Kai warrior.   
  
He could hear the captain ordering his men to search the entire area and threatening them with death if they allowed Ranma to escape. Ranma could see a narrow alleyway ahead of him, but it was currently full of Maouk's henchmen, searching everything, leaving no stone unturned. Silently wading through the water, Ranma knew he needed some sort of distraction to divert their attention while he bolted across. Looking around, Ranma searched for something.  
  
Picking up a medium stone, Ranma threw it at several earthenware jugs, causing a loud racket. The distant crash could be heard as Maouk's henchmen swarmed to the source of the noise. Seeing an opportunity presented, Ranma bolted across the harbour and down the dark alleyway ran up a flight of stone steps onto the rooftop area and started to roof hopping.   
  
'Almost there.' Ranma was about to leap across the next building. He was less than twenty feet from safety when a cry was heard from below.  
  
"THERE HE IS!"   
  
'Damn!' Ranma thought that he had lost his pursuers.  
  
Ranma was about to leap across the wide gap to the other side when the ledge gave way, sending him falling. Trying to slow his descent, he tried to grab onto anything that could help prevent his fall. Luckily he managed to grab a washing line; unfortunately it snapped, sending him crashing into someone's home.  
  
Boy, weren't the residents shocked at someone crashing thought their roof into their bedroom! Getting up, Ranma immediately apologised for invading their personal space. He then sprinted out of the room, down the passageway and down the stairway that led to the open courtyard.  
  
The sound of hooves clattering on the cobblestones and the shouting of Maouk's henchmen urged Ranma to continue to run from his pursuers. He had to avoid capture for his brother's sake and for Sommerlund.  
  
***  
  
Running down the alleyway, Ranma made the dreaded mistake of turning left at a crossroad, and was led to a dead end. Hearing the sound of Maouk's henchmen approaching, Ranma looked to see if there was a way out. The walls were too smooth to climb so Ranma shoulder barged into the nearest door, which crashed open. Once inside, Ranma immediately slammed the door shut and placed a large metal bar across to secure the door as the Sharnazim tried to break in.  
  
"That will hold them for now." Ranma then looked around to see if there was a way out.   
  
On the far end of the room hung a black robe and, seeing that he needed a disguise, Ranma placed it on, aware that his Kai uniform would instantly be recognised by the Sharnazim warriors. Raising the hood over his head, Ranma walked out into the dark, cool hall and into the large main chamber. The place was furnished with various items and objects and large hanging hung all around the room.   
  
'This must be some sort of temple just my luck. I better get outta here before those henchmen come barging in.'  
  
Ranma carefully walked around the room as people knelt in front of a pulpit where a holy man, dressed in flowing robes of black and gold, read aloud from a gem-encrusted book, using his Kai discipline of Camouflage to blend in the shadows.  
  
Ranma spotted a side door behind a huge tapestry suspended from the roof by huge silken cords bearing the form of the late Zakhan. The congregation was so wrapped up in prayer that no one saw Ranma making his escape. The ceremony soon came to an end as Maouk's men barged in, demanding from the congregation whether they saw a foreign looking man with a pigtail entered the place. The holy man was outraged and ushered them out of the temple.   
  
The side door led to a wide street where vendors competed for space for their stalls beneath the overhanging balconies. The market was crowded with people, all paying their respects to the dead Zakhan.  
  
Ranma could see that each one wore a black sash as a mark of respect to their dead Zakhan, but here, unlike in most of Barrakeesh, business continued as normal. Looking around, Ranma could see Maouk's henchmen barging down the busy streets from the northern, southern and eastern points of the market place. Seeing he had no other choice available, Ranma bolted down the western exit, hoping to lose his pursuers amongst the crowd.   
  
"There he is!" One of Maouk's henchmen spotted him as he saw a glimpse of Ranma's green cloak underneath his disguise.  
  
'I wonder how is my brother is doing? I hope he's having better luck than me!' Ranma suddenly thought as he ran down the street, closely pursued by a dozen of Maouk's henchmen.  
  
***  
  
The Grand Palace Dungeons  
  
Braxus woke up from his unconsciousness in great discomfort; every muscle in his body felt like he had spent twenty rounds with his father, knotted and bruised. It hurt even more when Braxus rose up to a sitting position as his shoulder was aching with pain.  
  
'At least they had the common courteously of bandaging my wound.' He started to use his Kai Healing technique to numb the pain.  
  
A few moments later, Braxus looked around to see where he was currently being held. He realised that he was in some sort of cell, as he was previously lying unconscious on the stone floor.  
  
Over by the far wall, beneath a window criss-crossed with iron bars, was a low wooden bunk covered in filthy rags. Cockroaches, some the size of field mice, scuttled along a foul-smelling gutter that disappeared into the grating in the floor. A thought had come to Braxus' mind, but he dismissed it, as the grating was far too small; and besides, it smelt revolting.  
  
Checking himself, Braxus found that all of his weapons and equipment had been removed. Also he discovered that, while his hands were free, chains, which Braxus discovered the hard way when he tried to move across the room, bound his feet.  
  
A faint draft from the corridor outside provided the only relief from the stifling heat and bad air of the cell he had been placed in. Shuffling across the other end of the cell, Braxus placed his ear against the wooden doorway, hearing footsteps approaching. Then the footsteps halted as a loud voice bellowed out,  
  
"Sleeping on duty, Sefrou? You'll wake on the other side of this door if the captain catches you!"  
  
Another voice was heard along with the noise of a chair scraping against the stone floor.  
  
"Curse you, Hadj! The Zakhan doesn't want the Northlander taken to the Grand Hall until sunset. You've cheated me of two hours sleep," the voice growled.  
  
"Shut up, Sefrou," snarled Hadj, "and listen hard. I've just come from the armoury. Some interesting trinkets were found on the Northlander, worth a great deal of gold I'd say, especially the weapons he had on him. Don't know why he had those beautifully crafted weapons on him, but it could fetch a nice tidy amount of gold. Seems a pity to let go to waste, eh?"  
  
The two guards chuckled greedily and discussed at length the good time they would be able to have in the city once they had sold the weapons. Braxus heard what they were thinking about and there was no way that he going to let them sell his family weapon and his magic sword. Those two weapons could become extremely dangerous in the wrong hands. Thinking quickly, Braxus looked around to see if he could use anything to his advantage.  
  
Suddenly an idea came to Braxus, and he started to implement his plan as he heard footsteps approach near the door.  
  
"I'll take a peek at our friend to see if he's enjoying our hospitality!" said one of the guards.  
  
Sefrou started to laugh.  
  
The spy hole slid open as the guard looked in to see if their prisoner was still there. The guard gasped in shock and fear.  
  
'The Zakhan will have my head for this,' the guard thought. He quickly fumbled with his set of keys to open the cell.  
  
"What wrong, Hadj?" Sefrou quickly rose from his chair.  
  
"He's gone! He's gone! By the Majhan, we'll lose our heads!" Hadj cried out as he eventually found the key to the cell.  
  
"WHAT! That's impossible there no way that Northlander could escape!" Sefrou rushed to the weapon rack to get his spear. He was sweating bullets. If Maouk ever find out about this blunder...  
  
The key clicked in the lock the guards opened the cell door with weapons gripped tight in their hands.   
  
"You don't suppose he's a ghost, Hadj? I heard that these Kai Lords have the ability to act like ghosts or demons," Sefrou whispered.  
  
"Will you stop being superstitious! He's just a Northlander and that's all," Hadj said as he stepped into the cell. He scanned the cell with his eyes, seeing no trace of the Northlander.  
  
Suddenly the cell door slammed shut behind them and was locked from the outside. Braxus slid open the peephole to see the two guards on the other side of the door and smirked. He had somehow managed to trap the two guards in their own cell while he made his escape.  
  
"Enjoy your stay. You'd better come up with a excuse for the Zakhan as to why you are here and not me," Braxus suggested as he slid the peephole back and saw a look of complete fear in their eyes.  
  
'Idiots! They will never learn to look behind them.'   
  
Braxus realised that they couldn't see him so close to the door as the spyhole's field of vision was very limited. By using his Kai discipline of Camouflage, Braxus just stuck to the wall until the guards entered. He then crept past them and slammed the door as the key was still in the lock.  
  
"By the Majhan, let us out!" Sefrou pleaded.  
  
"Curse you Northlander! Wait till I get my hands on you!"  
  
The guards started to bang on the cell door, demanding he open the door, starting to shout and scream for help. Braxus wasn't really worried as this was the deepest dungeon in the Grand Palace and it would take quite a while for someone to come here.  
  
"Now where is that armoury?" Braxus took a spear from weapon rack and a bunch of keys on the table. Using his Kai discipline of Tracking he easily found a route out of the palace dungeons.  
  
***  
  
Running down the street, Ranma entered a nearby building and quickly realised he was in yet another temple as a strong smell of burnt incense filled the entire building. Trying to act casual, Ranma walked down the narrow hallway lined with chairs and then along the central aisle towards a fountain, flanked by a pair of massive orange-red pillars. Sitting down on a chair, Ranma pretended to be praying.  
  
Suddenly a hand was placed on his shoulder. Thinking that it was one of Maouk's henchmen, he spun around as he reached for his sword, but calmed immediately when he saw it was a man dressed from head to toe in black, priest-like robes.  
  
He didn't say a word as he silently pointed to a cellar door. Ranma could hear the sounds of Maouk's men attempting to enter the temple. Ranma silently thanked the man and immediately ran towards the cellar door. Once he was inside the cellar, Ranma placed his ear against the door to see if Maouk's men had entered the temple.  
  
"What are you doing here? This is place of worship. You are not permitted to enter here with weapons. I demand you to leave this place at once," a voice said.  
  
"Shut up, old man, we're looking for a murderer."   
  
'Why that lying bast**d!' Ranma almost said that out loud, but managed to clasp his hand over his mouth before anyone heard him.  
  
Looking around, Ranma realised that he was trapped; there were no signs of a way out.  
  
"Tear this place apart, leave no stone unturned. I can smell that Northlander here," the voice shouted as the priest pleaded for him to leave.  
  
Ranma realised that it would only be a matter of time before they noticed the cellar door. Not wanting to be sitting duck, Ranma quickly scanned the room to see if there was anything he could use to his advantage. Moving a few boxes, Ranma found a large iron grille in the centre of floor.   
  
However, the horrible stench rising from it was revolting and it took all his efforts to keep from throwing up violently. Quickly lifting the iron grille, Ranma peered down the long, dark tunnel.  
  
"'Just a simple signing,' he says. Never mentioned being chased by the entire palace guard or going down some stinking holes," Ranma muttered to himself as he heard footsteps approaching.  
  
"I'm going to regret this when this is all over and done with," Ranma sighed.  
  
"The things I do for Sommerlund and Kai." Ranma gulped a lungful of air, as he climbed the ladder but not before closing the iron grille.  
  
***  
  
A few hours later Ranma was climbing out of a tar-sorkh, a mud geyser, having finally found a way out of the Baga-Darooz. Although he had managed to lose his pursuers in the Barrakeesh sewage system, he had been unlucky enough to contract the disease Limbdeath as he had managed to infect his injured shoulder while trying to avoid Maouk's men. Earlier, one of the Sharnazim warriors had managed to ambush him in the sewers and inflicted a minor cut on Ranma's shoulder. Unfortunately, due to his constant contact with the dirty sewage water, he eventually picked up a deadly bacterial infection that had started to affect his open wound. Not even Ranma's Kai skills could cure limbdeath. According to what his mother had told him when she had decided to teach him in the ways of healing and medicine, the only cure for the disease was to treat the wound with the herb Oede within twenty-four hours. Otherwise, Ranma would be faced with the choice with losing his arm or losing his life.  
  
Once Ranma was back above ground, he started to knead his arm in an effort to massage some life back into it, but found this action to be useless as the disease had made his arm limp and nerveless.  
  
'Well, I should be lucky. It's not my weapon arm; otherwise I would be in trouble. Now where am I?' Ranma thought, knowing that time was running out, as he had to look for the precious Oede in order to cure his arm.  
  
As Ranma looked around, by sheer luck he saw something ahead of him that he desperately needed the most. Walking towards the building, he could see the people around him holding their noses as the smell coming off him was absolutely revolting, and they wondered where the hell he had come from. Entering a large vestibule construction building made of pink and white marble; Ranma looked up to see the sign of water and some writing underneath. The writing on the sign translated into:  
  
*Vassagonia Bathhouse - for the cleansing of body and soul*  
  
Walking up on a few steps, he saw a man in white robes sitting near a door in the far wall, reading a scroll held close to his face. Not wanting to be recognised, Ranma pulled up his hood to cover his face as he pulled out a couple of gold crowns for payment. He didn't seem to notice Ranma entering the building, but was quick to sense his presence.  
  
"By the Majhan!" he cried as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "You smell worse than a Baknar!" He then grabbed a towel and hurled it at Ranma as he pointed to a door. Ranma dropped the coins in his palm and followed the man's directions.  
  
"Take my advice, don't get undressed - your clothes need the bath as much as you!" the man whined before he resumed his reading.  
  
"Err... thanks," Ranma said in perfect Vassagonian as he walked down the long corridor. He then breathed a sigh of relief; he hadn't been recognised as a foreigner.   
  
The corridor led to another long hallway, which then led to regular intervals that opened up into smaller open chambers, each one with a sunken bath. Perfumed water constantly splashed into the baths and drained away directly into the Baga-Darooz. Desperately wanting clean himself of the smell, Ranma quickly jumped in, taking the attendant's advice, but not before placing his weapons beside the bath. He wanted them close by just in case more of Maouk's henchmen came barging in. Landing with a massive splash, Ranma immersed himself in the cool water still fully clothed.  
  
"Ahhh, that does the trick." Ranma relaxed completely in the cool water as the stench that had been clinging to him since he had left the sewers was washed away.  
  
Looking around, Ranma could see that he was safe for now. Deciding that this was a rare moment to relax his tense muscles, Ranma leaned back as the cool, perfumed water washed away his troubles momentarily.  
  
***  
  
Somewhere in the Zakhan's Palace  
  
There was a single guard posted at the entrance to the palace armoury; he was trying to keep awake. He was currently wondering when Hadj would come back to relieve him of his duty.   
  
Suddenly he heard a noise from further along the long corridor.  
  
"Hey Hadj, is that you?" the guard said as he went to investigate the sound.   
  
"Hey Hadj, come out, why don't you, you're an hour late," the guard moaned.  
  
The guard looked around, saw nothing and assumed that it was just his imagination. He was about to turn around and resume his guard duty as Maouk would have his head if anyone found out that he had left his post, when he came face to face with a brown-haired stranger that he recognised as the Northlander that they had captured for the Zakhan.  
  
"Oh hello there, I don't suppose you could tell me where the armoury is?" Braxus asked politely.  
  
"By the Majhan, how the hell did you escape!" the guard gasped.  
  
The guard tried to reach for his sword, but wasn't quick enough. Braxus kicked him in the stomach hard, followed by a right uppercut as the guard bent forward after having the wind knocked out of him. His martial arts training with his brother seemed to be paying off as he managed to silence the guard before he could say anything. Seeing the guard unconscious on the carpeted red rug, Braxus looked around to see if the guard had attracted any attention before grabbing both his arms and dragging the unconscious guard out of sight into one of the many rooms of the Grand Palace.  
  
Quickly searching the body, Braxus found the master key to the armoury. Peering out from the door, he could see it was all clear along the lavishly decorated corridor. He quickly started to walk down the corridor towards the armoury.   
  
Inserting the key in the lock, he turned it until he heard a click. He slowly opened the door and slipped into the armoury before shutting the door behind him.  
  
'Now where is it?" Braxus started to search the well-stocked armoury.   
  
He could see many weapons both standard and exotic, but they weren't the items he was looking for. Then he noticed the familiar decorated hilt of a weapon sticking out of a box in the far corner of the room.  
  
He instantly recognised the weapon as his family sword that his father had given to him. Walking over to the corner, Braxus pulled off the cover to reveal that it was indeed his equipment, and most importantly his magical weapon, Excalibur. He breathed a sigh of relief; he had feared that the weapon had fallen into the wrong hands.   
  
Before he left the armoury, Braxus noticed a tray of trinkets and odd pieces of jewellery that the guards had taken from various people. Deciding that it would come in use, he picked up a decorated silver hairbrush for no apparent reason, but felt that someone was telling him subconsciously to take it. Seeing no reason to disagree, Braxus placed the hairbrush in his pouch.  
  
Opening the armoury door a little so that he could observe the hallway, he could see that it was all clear. He reckoned that the hallway should lead him towards the Zakhan's inner sanctum where he would hopefully find some answers; and also beat the living hell out of him for putting him and his brother through this.  
  
***  
  
The Bathhouse  
  
After spending few moments in the relaxing bath, Ranma decided that he should get going, as he needed to find some Oede to cure the disease that was slowly spreading up his arm. Ranma clambered out of the bath and entered a small antechamber. The room was hot and arid like the desert sun and, considering that he was in the bath with his clothes in, he was dry as a bone in no time. Beyond the antechamber, Ranma noticed some ordinary clothing on the bench.  
  
Ranma had an idea and started to borrow a few items of clothing so that he would blend in more with his surroundings and the local population. He was sure that there were guards still out there looking for him. Leaving the hot antechamber, Ranma quickly left the baths of Barrakeesh and went out onto the open streets.   
  
Hurrying down the steps and away from the bathhouse, Ranma entered the 'Saadi-tas-Ouda': the square of the dead. Walking across the square, he noticed there was a really eerie atmosphere to it. The floor was covered in jet-black flagstones, each with a long iron spike set deep into its centre. From where Ranma was standing he could see that the square resembled the back of a massive iron porcupine; but on closer inspection, he realised that the 'Saadi-tas-Ouda' was in fact far more sinister.  
  
Ranma could see that stuck atop each spike was a human skull - all that remained of pirates, murderers, traders and thieves who had been sentenced to death. He realised that this grisly display served as a warning to others never to defy the law of the Zakhan. As he slowly walked across to the far side of the square, he brushed against a spike.  
  
"Oh man, just my luck; and I had this just cleaned, damn birds!" Ranma groaned as something was smeared on his tunic sleeve.  
  
"Wait a minute, this is..." Ranma realised that his tunic was beginning to stain a dark red.  
  
Fearfully, Ranma looked up to see something so terrible that it changed his expression from anger to complete shock.  
  
Impaled upon the sharp iron pole was the head of the Vassagonian envoy. To either side were the heads that Ranma recognised as the galley crew. On each of their foreheads was freshly branded one word - Traitor.  
  
Ranma's heart started to beat at a tremendous rate as fear welled up within him. Quickly scanning the disembodied heads, Ranma breathed a deep sigh of relief that his brother's head was nowhere to be seen in the square. After that, Ranma bolted down the square and ran through the crowded streets of the Mikarum, but not before throwing up violently at the most disgusting display he had ever seen.   
  
Ranma spent a few moments to regain control of his stomach; he looked around and found that he was in a district where the spice and herb merchants lived: he realised that here he could find a cure for his disease. Looking around, Ranma saw a narrow, winding street where he spotted a bright red sign that said:  
  
*Bir Dar Masoun - Herb Mistress*  
  
Hope started to build up in Ranma as he looked at the lifeless arm that hung limply by his side, having had turned bluish hue. He realised that time was against him, and he needed the rare healing herbs that would cure his arm soon.  
  
Ranma shuddered at the prospect of making the decision to lose his arm, but quickly placed it at the back of his mind. Walking through the door, which was a curtain of coloured beads, Ranma entered the shop hoping that she has Oede in stock.  
  
"Err... is anyone here?" Ranma looked around to see various boxes and jars around the small shop. Ranma could instantly recognise some of the potions on the shelves due to his mother's tutoring in herbal medicines.   
  
A woman appeared from the shadows behind the counter.  
  
"Can I help you?" the woman said, causing Ranma to spin around in surprise.  
  
"Ahh...! Don't scare me like that!" Ranma said. He had thought it was one of Sharnazim warriors that had managed to find him.   
  
Ranma saw the woman had piercing green eyes and her red hair was raised, bound round with rings of Jadin. The woman had an amused expression on her face.  
  
"Terribly sorry, stranger," she apologised, "but how may I serve you?"  
  
"I don't suppose you have any Oede?" Ranma asked hesitantly.  
  
Her eyes narrowed at Ranma's limp arm as she realised that this foreigner had contracted limbdeath.  
  
"I cannot help you," she said sorrowfully, "Oede is now a very rare and precious herb. I would have to sell my ship and all my possessions in order to buy just one small pouch of Oede. There is only one man in Barrakeesh rich enough to possess this herb - the Zakhan.  
  
"It is kept in the Grand Palace under lock and key. You can find it in the strong room of the Imperial Apothecary," she added.  
  
'Damn, now I have to go to his place to cure my arm,' Ranma thought.  
  
"I don't suppose you have anything else that could cure limbdeath?" Ranma asked, hoping there was a slim chance of curing limbdeath.  
  
The woman shook her head. "I am sorry sir, but Oede is the only cure for limbdeath."  
  
"I see; well thank you for your assistance," Ranma sadly replied.  
  
The woman bowed. "I sense your despair; I pray you find your cure."  
  
Ranma sighed as he left the shop empty handed and headed towards the Grand Palace.  
  
***  
  
Within the Grand Palace  
  
Braxus was currently trying to access the upper part of the palace where he would find the Zakhan. Using all his abilities, he had so far avoided detection as he moved within the palace. Walking down the carpeted hallway, his Kai Sixth Sense told him of the presence of Sharnazim warriors coming his way. Normally, in this situation Braxus would have taken them on, but due to his injury and the absolute priority of remaining undetected and avoiding the raising of the alarm, he quickly went into the nearest room.   
  
Silently closing the door, he waited until the Sharnazim warriors had passed by. Once the guards had passed by, he was about to leave when he sensed that he wasn't alone in the room.   
  
Turning around he could see that he was in some sort of military room filled with scrolls with strategic maps hanging from the walls that were somewhat familiar to him. Portraits of past Zahkans and generals hung along one side of the room. A bookcase in one corner held hundreds of leather-bound volumes. Ornate drapes were drawn across a large window. A cabinet along one wall held pikes, swords and many exotic weapons of varied and deadly shapes and sizes. In the centre of the room was a model landscape, one that Braxus immediately recognised as southern regions of Sommerlund!  
  
Armies of miniature troops were positioned on the model; Braxus realised that the Zakhan was preparing to invade his home country. Leaning against the model table was the man that Braxus was very familiar with.  
  
He was wearing the same outfit as when he met him in the harbour. His attention was so focused in observing the table that he had failed to notice Braxus entering his personal war room.  
  
"So this must be your hobby?" Braxus quietly unsheathed his shortsword; it was time to get some payback.  
  
The man quickly spun around, instantly recognising the voice.   
  
"Northlander!"  
  
"The one and only," Braxus smirked as he closed the distance between them.  
  
Seeing Braxus armed, he quickly ran towards his weapon rack and took two very sharp looking scimitars.  
  
"Impudent peasant!" he growled. "Do you think you are any match for the great Maouk?" He started to display his skill in the sword by twirling them around and making himself look impressive.   
  
It was meant to intimidate his opponent, but Braxus seems to be unaffected by his display. His father, Jerek could easily outdo Maouk by miles and would make him looked like an amateur.  
  
"So what do you think, Northlander?" Maouk said as he finished his display.  
  
Braxus mocked him by yawing loudly, "Are you finished, or should I pull up a chair?"  
  
"How dare you mock me!" Maouk was infuriated at Braxus' disrespect.  
  
"Are you going to play around or are you going fight me?" Braxus gloated as Maouk took the bait.  
  
"I will take great delight in finishing you off with these weapons. Besides, the Zakhan only wants one of you!" And with those words he leapt towards Braxus, determined to kill him.  
  
The fight between Braxus and Maouk was swift as each one displayed their years of experience in their chosen weapons. Both received numerous cuts and grazes from the close combat. Braxus' injured shoulder was a disadvantage but, in the end, Maouk was laid dead at his feet.  
  
Braxus took a few moments to get his breath back after that deadly confrontation.  
  
'He was good, I admit to that; but I was better." Braxus cleaned his sword with a cloth and sheathed it back within its scabbard.   
  
He then checked his injured shoulder to see if they was any more bleeding as he applied his healing techniques to act as a painkiller. Although he was quite good at healing most common cuts, he was still an amateur when compared to his mother who would easily heal the wound without leaving a scar.  
  
Walking over to the table, Braxus could see that the invasion plans must have taken months of preparation and planning as he could see the familiar landmarks of all of Sommerlund's outposts and defences. If they were to invade his home country, they would have no problem overwhelming the Sommlending defenders.   
  
Thinking about his family in Durenor, Braxus knew what to do.   
  
To make sure Sommerlund would be made safe. Braxus took the drapes from the window and spread them across the table on which his battle plan was laid out. Taking a candle, he started to set fire to the rich curtains and the drapes. He reckoned that in a matter of moments the whole room would be set ablaze.  
  
Quietly slipping out the room, Braxus made his way down the hallway as quickly as possible.   
  
***  
  
Ranma cautiously stepped out of the herb mistress' shop and onto the main street. He could see the huge golden dome of the Grand Palace in the background. Ranma really wanted was to leave this treacherous city and rescue his brother, but first he had to obtain the Oede herb in order to save his arm. Walking down the streets of Barrakeesh, Ranma could see the people were still in the process of mourning for their Zakhan. He lifted his hood as he tried to blend in with the crowd. After a few minutes of wandering the crowded streets, Ranma came across the main entrance of the Grand Palace and what he saw made him think about his options as he slipped down a narrow, shadowy alleyway to avoid being seen.  
  
Ranma ruled out climbing the huge walls, as even if he had the means to do so, he would be seen for miles around, as his dark-coloured clothing would stick out against the white, sun-bleached marble wall.  
  
He even thought about forcing his way in through the main entrance, but he ruled this one out due to the number of heavily armed guards, even though he reckoned he could take them all out.  
  
Ranma was walking up and down the narrow street trying to think of a way into the palace. He wished that Banedon were here; he was the clever one out of the three. Then he noticed that by the northern gate of the palace there seemed to be a side entrance, which, while still heavily guarded, was allowing mounted scouts and couriers in. On closer inspection, Ranma could see they were handing the guards a scroll of parchment before they entered.  
  
"Now, if I could get one of those I could..." Ranma started to think of a bold plan that might get him into the palace.  
  
Looking up, Ranma could see a small archway that was connected between two buildings, and which the couriers had to pass under to continue their journey.   
  
"Hmm, it should take my weight," Ranma thought as he perched himself along the small, narrow ledge, waiting for the right opportunity to come. Hopefully the next courier would be alone, as he had noticed that most of them came with a few bodyguards.  
  
"Jeez, come on! Where are you guys?" Ranma muttered. He had been standing on the ledge for more than an hour. Luckily the street was deserted for now and no one saw him standing on the archway.   
  
Then a black-robed rider entered the street, passing under the archway where Ranma was waiting in ambush. If Ranma mistimed his jump, he would be in big trouble and the chase would start all over again as he predicted that the courier would scream for help.  
  
Ranma timed his jump as he silently counted down, waiting for him to pass below him.  
  
Seeing that the courier had almost passed, Ranma pounced.  
  
The poor guy didn't have a chance to scream for help as Ranma silently took him out with his good arm to the head, knocking the courier unconscious and letting him fall to the ground. Looking around, Ranma could see that no one had seen his successful attempt and wasted little time in dragging his body into the shadows.  
  
"Ah, here it is." Ranma finally found what he was looking for on the body. He then started to take the courier's loose robe and some of his items, wanting to make sure that he looked like a courier. Pocketing the scroll, Ranma started to implement the second stage as his plan as he boldly walked across towards the gate. He hoped that the guards wouldn't recognise him, as he was sure that most of guards were out, tearing up the whole city searching for him.  
  
Ranma handed the scroll to the guard.  
  
"Hmm... we don't get many couriers from southern Magnamund. What business do you have in Barrakeesh?" the guard said, noticing Ranma's oriental features under his hood.  
  
Ranma was surprised that the guard didn't recognise him; he had expected half the palace guards to pounce on him, but the guard didn't seem to be suspicious of him when he asked the question.   
  
Suddenly it dawned on him: Maouk probably said to his men that they were to search and capture a Kai Lord from Sommerlund, and his men would assume that they were looking for a Sommlending or a Northlander, not an oriental person.  
  
Seeing the guard was waiting for his response, Ranma quickly composed himself.  
  
"Listen, I'm carrying important documents for the Zakhan, and my business here is none of your concern," Ranma spoke with authority.  
  
The guard finished his inspection and allowed him through the gate into the palace garden.  
  
***  
  
Somewhere in the Grand Palace, in the Imperial Apothecary  
  
Braxus was wondering how many floors and room this place had. As He had just spent the last half-hour looking for the Zakhan's throne room while trying to avoid the guards patrolling the hallway. He was about to enter open the main double doors, which would hopefully allow him access to the upper parts of palace, when he heard the sound of guards about to open the doors from the other side. Seeing that he had nowhere to hide in the hallway, he immediately opened the door to his left.  
  
It wasn't Braxus' lucky day, as which he would soon find out discover as soon as entered the room.  
  
The room was an elegant bedchamber, plushly decorated with fine lace and a fur carpet. In the centre of the room was a large four poster bed. Sitting up in the bed, evidently awakened by all the commotion, was a beautiful, sylph-like woman with long, dark hair and deep, piercing eyes. To her left and right were her maids, armed to the teeth, but in seductive way, as their uniforms were quite revealing.  
  
"What right have you in here?" the woman screamed at him.  
  
Normally Braxus wouldn't be intimidated by her outcry, but when you see her eyes turned blood red and two jets of liquid fire shot from them directly at him, Braxus knew she demanded respect and attention. Braxus narrowly dodged the fire beams; getting up, he realised that he had to act fast before she had the chance to fire again.  
  
'Just great! Outta of all the rooms I could have entered, I had to choose the one with the psychopathic woman and her warrior maids," Braxus thought as he tried to come up with an excuse for disturbing her.  
  
'Hmm, I wonder how Ranma is coping?'   
  
***  
  
Somewhere in the Grand Palace, in the Imperial Apothecary  
  
"Get back, or you'll regret it! I said get back!" Ranma cried out. His back was against the wall as he tried to fend off a large cat-like creature.  
  
Ranma had found the apothecary and was wondering why it was left unlocked when he heard the sound of purring and a low growl. The reason why it wasn't guarded or locked was that a very large Elix guarded the Apothecary.  
  
The Elix roared and swiped at him with its large, clawed paws.  
  
Currently Ranma was playing the role of a lion tamer with a stool in one hand and the Sommerswerd in the other. Normally Ranma would easily defeat the Elix, but was taking longer than necessary as his cat-fear, which had almost gone, was still there. Ranma was trying to remember his tutor teaching him in remaining calm and collected, but when a two-hundred-pound cat-like creature was trying to claw his eyes out, it was no easy task.  
  
"They could have used poisonous snakes, rabid hounds, killer bees or even giant lizards," Ranma muttered to himself, "but nooooooo... they had to use large cats. I hate cats, I really do." Ranma ducked an incoming swipe as he tried to tackle this problem as quick as possible before anyone heard the commotion.  
  
"Where's a ball of string when you need it the most?"   
  
***  
  
"Well, I'm waiting?" The woman's eyes started to flare up as Braxus was snapped out of his thoughts.  
  
Braxus said something along the lines of, "Oh, my lady, your most humble servant apologises for his rude intrusion!" He bowed low. "But I am here to offer you a gift from my master." He hoped that she would buy it.  
  
She blinked and the jets of fire disappeared. This bought Braxus some time, but left another problem: what would he offer her?  
  
Braxus turned around, searching for a suitable gift; otherwise the woman would roast him on the spot. Sensing her impatience, Braxus found something that he hoped would pleased her.  
  
"My Lady, I offer you this." Braxus showed her the silver hairbrush that he had found in the armoury.  
  
She looked at his offering for a few moments as Braxus sweat bullets. Then her eyes widened.  
  
"Let me see that!" she commanded.  
  
Braxus carefully advanced towards her and held out the brush. She snatched it and spent several moments admiring it.  
  
"This is indeed a work of art," she said, and got out of the bed to try it in front of her mirror. As she brushed her hair with it, she seemed fascinated with his gift, and Braxus realised that it was his chance to leave unnoticed through the door in the far corner while as her two maids guarded her.  
  
Quickly walking through the door, Braxus silently closed it and leaned against it for a few moments.   
  
'Mental note: look before you enter, it will save you a lot of time; and maybe your life.'  
  
Breathing a deep sigh of relief, he was wondering what to do next when he sensed a familiar scent, which he began to home in on.  
  
***  
  
Ranma was completely exhausted both mentally and physically as his battle against the Elix had taken all his strength to combat the creature, but he had managed to contain his fear during the battle. Crouching beside the large creature, Ranma noticed that there was a gold key around the Elix's neck. He quickly discovered that the key opened the steel door of a strongroom at the far end of apothecary. High up on a shelf, just inside the door, Ranma found a small box that contained what he needed the most - the Oede herb.  
  
Within seconds of pressing the beautiful golden leaves to his wounded shoulder, a tingling sensation engulfed Ranma's whole arm and the numbness faded. Ranma started to stretch his arms and, to his relief, found that his arm and shoulder were free of the horrific limbdeath.  
  
Looking at the small box, Ranma could see there was enough for one further application and could proved beneficial to him, as this was a powerful substance that could be used against many deadly diseases which, after his experience with limbdeath, could prove useful.   
  
Dragging the dead Elix into the strongroom, Ranma noticed that there were in fact two doors into the strong room.  
  
"Well, what do we have here?" Ranma inserted the key into the secret door.  
  
The gold key opened the lock of the new door, which led to a narrow staircase beyond, dimly lit by flaring torches in wall brackets. The climb was steep and arduous, just like the time he was led through the secret passageway in the King's Citadel in Holmgard. Ranma realised that these steps were part of a secret route. After some time he came to a dead end.  
  
"Damn!" Ranma cursed, but he then noticed that there was a narrow, bronze door set flush in the wall, plain in appearance except for a tiny keyhole close to the floor.  
  
"Hmm... maybe if I do this?" Ranma thought.  
  
Ranma was about to place the gold key within the bronze door when he felt a presence from behind him. Thinking that it was another of the Zakhan's creatures or henchmen, Ranma span around, unsheathing his sword at the same time.  
  
The mysterious person jumped back, dodging Ranma's sword by inches. Recognition appeared on Ranma's face as soon as he could see his opponent's face in the dim light, but it was too late as he tried to slow the swing of his blade. Luckily, the person's reflex skills and Kai training were good enough to dodge it, but his spear was sliced into two pieces.  
  
"Whoa Ranma! Calm down, it's only me," he said as he placed the two pieces of his spear on the nearby table.  
  
"Braxus, what the hell are you doing here?" Ranma was stunned: he had almost beheaded his own brother by accident.  
  
"Eh... the same thing as you are doing." Braxus grinned as he sat down on the stone steps.  
  
"So, what are doing in here in the Zakhan's palace?" Braxus inquired.  
.  
"Well, I was supposed to rescue you and find out why the Zakhan wants us prisoners." Ranma crouched down in front of his brother.  
  
"As you can see I was perfectly capable of escaping, but thank for trying."  
  
"You look like you've been through hell and back." Ranma noticed Braxus' torn and dirty Kai uniform; he really needed a good clean shave and a bath.  
  
"Can you really blame me? I've been thrown into the Zakhan's deepest and dirtiest dungeon and I really need a hot bath." Braxus showed the holes and tears in his tunic and cloak to emphasise his point.  
  
"Trust me, I know what you've been though; I had it worse!" Ranma winced at the awful smell as he remembered what had happened.  
  
"What do you mean you had worse? It's not like you've been walking through the city sewage and aqueduct systems," Braxus joked, but his jaw dropped in surprise when Ranma didn't deny it.  
  
"You HAVE been through the sewage system? And I thought I had it worse!" Braxus almost laughed out loud but managed to keep it down to a few chuckles.  
  
Ranma raised his fist against his brother in mock anger.  
  
"You don't say anything to Banedon or Ranko, otherwise I will be giving you the beating of lifetime when we get home," Ranma warned, a serious expression on his face.  
  
"Alright, alright Ranma, I promise not to tell anyone," Braxus swore.  
  
'But I have gut feeling that she already knows?"   
  
***  
  
Somewhere in 'Aon'  
  
Ranko was currently rolling around the floor laughing her head off as she watched the previous events of when Ranma and Braxus had entered into Vassagonia. She was with her two friends and had just watched Ranma when he was forced to wade neck-deep through the sewers.  
  
At one point she was deeply concerned when Ranma picked up the infection, but was then relieved to find out that he managed to find a cure and be reunited with his brother. She was currently trying to stop laughing so much as her sides were beginning to hurt.  
  
Normally, she would aid them in their quest, but on this occasion she had made a promise to Ishir that she wouldn't interfere, which meant that she couldn't do anything to help Ranma or Braxus. Although she did help Braxus just a tiny little bit by placing a subconscious thought in his mind to take the silver hairbrush.  
  
Ishir had told her that this was one of those moments in Magnamund's history where the two fledging Kai Masters would have to prove themselves: a great turning point in the history of the Order of the Kai.   
  
Looking back, it was quite funny now.  
  
"Poor Ranma, I do hope that's he's okay." Ranko wiped away a tear as she tried to regain her composure.  
  
Skuld, who had joined her best friend in laughter, had also stopped laughing, while Tsunami was quietly giggling at the antics of Ranko's supposed boyfriend. Normally Ranko wouldn't be interested in mortals, but she had taken quite a shine towards this pigtailed mortal.  
  
Tsunami was at first a bit confused as to why Ranko liked this mortal so much, until it finally dawned on her that this mortal could eventually become a...  
  
But she dismissed it as it was too early to tell; but it was beginning to make a little sense.  
  
"And I thought that Tenchi had it bad," Tsunami thought quietly.  
  
Skuld finally regained enough composure to stand up.  
  
"So that's your boyfriend?" Skuld teased her friend as she pointed at the still image.  
  
'I must admit he is cute. I think I should keep a close eye on him, as Ranko is my best friend,' Skuld thought as she watched and saw Ranma sneeze through the viewing crystal.  
  
Ranko blushed as bright as her hair colour by the second.  
  
"He's not my boyfriend, he's my friend," Ranko whispered in a low tone as she tried to deny her relationship with the mortal. But her eyes were betraying her and her two friends instantly came to the same conclusion.  
  
'YEAH RIGHT!"  
  
"I see you've taken an interest in Banedon, or was it Braxus?" Ranko hastily replied as she tried to shift the embarrassment from her to Skuld.  
  
It was Skuld's turn to blush as she looked down at her feet.  
  
"Well?" Ranko glared at her.  
  
"Eh... well it's not like that... OH look at the time, I can hear Belldandy calling me, see ya later Ranko, Tsunami." Skuld materialised a cup of water in her hand, poured it on the ground and stepped into the puddle.  
  
Ranko and Tsunami looked at each other and shrugged. They then turned their attention back to the viewing as they continued watching Ranma and Braxus.  
  
"Now, where were we?"  
  
***  
  
Braxus checked his both of his weapons. As he was looking at his sword a sudden thought came to his mind.  
  
"I don't suppose you've seen Kalona?" Concern was shown on his face.  
  
Ranma shook his head. "No brother, I haven't seen her since we arrived in this city." Ranma noticed his brother's sad expression. "Don't worry, Braxus, she's probably around here somewhere; besides, she is a magical creature."  
  
Braxus' expression lightened up as he listened to his brother's encouragement.  
  
"So what do we do next?"   
  
"Well, as I was doing before I almost sliced you into two."  
  
"Yeah, that was a close shave wasn't it." Braxus smirked.  
  
Ranma groaned at the bad joke. "What? It's not that bad!" Braxus said.  
  
Ranma sighed but continued his explanation: "So I was about to open the door... Hey that reminds me: how did you find me so fast?" Ranma asked, sure that no one saw him enters the palace.  
  
"Oh, that's easy. I used my Tracking skills and Sixth Sense to find you by picking up on your scent in the palace atmosphere. You're the only one that has that unique aura," Braxus explained.   
  
"Anyway, my Kai instincts and Tracking told me that bronze door led to the chambers of the upper palace where - if I know these grand palaces - should be the sumptuous private enclave of the Zakhan. So what better place to get answers, but from the Zakhan himself? All we need to do is open that door. So what's your reason for being here?" Braxus asked, wondering what methods Ranma had used, expecting some sort of ancient pathfinding skills.  
  
Ranma scratched behind his head.  
  
"Err... you see I had this key and I thought that I could open that door and... To be honest I was lost and was generally exploring the place until I came across this door," Ranma said. Braxus used all his will to keep from facefaulting on the table.  
  
'I should've expected it from him,' Braxus thought as he rose off the chair. "Come on, Ranma, let's have few words with Mr. Zakhan in there."  
  
"Yeah bro, I'd also like to have a few personal words with him." Ranma started to crack his knuckles, anticipating getting even with him.  
  
Braxus kept a lookout as Ranma examined the bronze door. He inserted the key with a twist while keeping his fingers crossed that the door would open; otherwise they would really be struck. Braxus heard a faint click followed by a soft whirring sound: the bronze door slid open allowing the two Kai masters to go in. Ranma then made sure that no one followed them by shutting the door behind him as softly as he had opened it. The last thing they needed right now was the entire brigade of the Zakhan's elite personal guard swarming in.  
  
Walking upon glistening tiles of opal and platinum, past sculptures and statues of pure gold, Braxus whistled in appreciation at the net worth of the statues and goods. The Zakhan's inner chamber was a breathtaking sight.  
  
"This guy has some expensive tastes," Ranma commented   
  
Braxus nodded. "Probably enough gold here to buy out a small kingdom."  
  
They continued to walk down the corridor until they reached a solid amethyst door. Opening the door, Ranma and Braxus were treated to another unique and startlingly sight of the splendour of this private world. A circular, cathedral-like arena was spread out below Ranma, the green velvet canopy alive with the sound of bird song. Trees of every colour shape and size flourished in the deep, dark soil floor.   
  
Ranma just hoped that there wasn't any cats or Elix protecting this jungle paradise. Walking around the wrought iron balcony encircling the arboretum, they quickly left through a side entrance, which led through a network of lavish corridors and empty, deserted vestibules.  
  
They soon reached a landing where a broad staircase descended to a massive room that occupied most of the lower palace. Ranma was about to descend the stairs when Braxus quickly dragged him behind a column to hide, preventing him from doing something dangerous. Ranma was about to ask him why, but Braxus placed his finger on his lips, silently telling him to be quiet. He then pointed down as a look of fear and dread appeared on his face. Wondering what his brother was pointing to, Ranma turned to look; the sight made Ranma's blood froze with terror.  
  
'WHAT THE HELL IS HE DOING HERE?' Ranma thought.  
  
Down below was a large chamber carpeted with scarlet furs and on the raised platform in the centre stood the Vassagonian Emperor, Zakhan Kimah. He was robed in gold, but devoid of ornamentation. In his hand was an orb of black metal, and in his eyes Ranma could see an ice-cold cruelty that sent chills down his spine. Zakhan Kimah was not, however, the person that scared Ranma the most; it was his companion to whom he was speaking that brought great fear.   
  
It was someone that Ranma had encountered before...  
  
A DARKLORD OF HELGEDAD   
  
Standing opposite the Zakhan was a man that Ranma and Braxus had never ever expected to meet in Vassagonia. A helm as black as death itself hid his face, but the stench of decay and a hideous sepulchral voice betrayed his identity. Ranma was about to draw his sword, the Sommerswerd, and engage him, but Braxus stopped him; he wanted to know why a Darklord was here in Vassagonia and what his business was with the Zakhan.  
  
Ranma nodded silently and they continued to listen to the conversation between the Darklord and the Zakhan Kimah. For an extra precaution, Ranma started to cast a spell that Banedon had taught him that would hide their auras from psychically sensitive creatures and people.  
  
"Give me the two Kai Masters now, especially the pigtailed one!" His voice was full of authority and evil.  
  
The Zakhan rose to his feet and tried to negotiate with the Darklord. Ranma's Sixth Sense was telling him that the Zakhan was really scared but was hiding it very well under a mask.   
  
"They will be brought to you at sunset in exchange for the Orb of Death as agreed."  
  
"You have the Orb!" His chilling voice echoed around the room. "Now give me Wild Horse and Swift Blade."  
  
"You will get them as agreed at sunset, Lord Haakon," the Zakhan said, trying to control the situation.  
  
Braxus was surprised that the Darklord didn't detect that the Zakhan was lying through his teeth as he felt the Darklord's Mindforce persistently clawing and probing at his mind. Luckily Ranma and Braxus had taken the precaution of using their Kai mental discipline of Mindshield.   
  
"When you tell me why your servants defile the Tomb of the Majhan. You claim to have no need for gold and jewels - why then do you plunder the graves of our ancestors?" his voice was surprisingly not full of anger and rage.  
  
A deadly quiet filled the hall. Only the unnatural hiss of the Darklord's breath disturbed the silence.  
  
Ranma thought that the Darklord sounded like one of those science fiction characters that he had happened to see when he was on his training trip. Ranma was half expecting the Darklord to start beating the crap out of the Zakhan for standing up to him; he knew that the Darklords didn't respect anyone except for their master, Naar.  
  
"This land, this insignificant speck of sand, harbours two small thorns that prick our skin. We seek to remove them both - forever. The two fledgling Kai, Wild Horse and Swift Blade, is the thorn that denies us Sommerlund. The Tomb of Majhan hides the other thorn that threatens us - the accursed Book of the Magnakai."  
  
On the upper floor, Ranma and Braxus looked at each other in shock and realisation of why they were enticed to come here to Vassagonia. They suddenly realised that this wasn't a simple peace treaty, but a deadly trap set by the Darklords themselves, and the sinister truth was finally revealed to them.  
  
'The Book of the Magnakai,' echoed through Braxus' mind as he realised the implications if the Darklords ever get their hands on the legendary book.  
  
Braxus looked at Ranma. "Ranma, we have to get that book before they do!"  
  
"Eh... what's so important about a book? Is it a magic book?" Ranma whispered,  
  
Braxus sighed; it was oblivious that Ranma hadn't learned that particular topic when he was in Storm Hawk's tutorial classes. He assumed - quite rightly - that Ranma was probably asleep at the time.  
  
Braxus decided to give his brother a quick history recap as time was against them; the Darklord's henchmen were already searching for the book.  
  
"Ranma, the Book of the Magnakai contains the wisdom and knowledge of the Kai. It was written by the first Kai Grand Master, Sun Eagle. The book was lost hundreds of years but if it does still exist we could..."  
  
"...Advance on the next level of Kai training," Ranma finished, realising the implications.  
  
The wisdom contained in the book would make Ranma and Braxus become strong, strong enough to reach the ultimate achievement and dream for any Kai Initiate - to become a Kai Grand Master.  
  
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get there before they find the book!" Ranma whispered to his brother.  
  
Braxus ignored him, trying to listen in on more of the conversation between the Darklord and the Zakhan to see if he could pick up some clues as to the location of the book.  
  
TBC...  
  
*** 


	16. Chapter 13

Ranma/Lone Wolf Crossover Fanfiction  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma 1/2 or the Lone Wolf Series or any other characters. The rights to Ranma 1/2 belong to Rumiko Takahashi and the Lone Wolf Series belong to Joe Dever. This story is created solely for entertainment purposes and no profit as gained from this.   
  
Note.  
Kai Names:  
* Ranma Stormgard (Saotome) - Wild Horse  
* Braxus Stormgard - Swift Blade  
  
Wild Horse of Kai  
  
By Montymouse  
  
' ' - Thought  
" " - Speech  
  
Chapter Thirteen - Final Showdown  
  
***  
  
Inner Chamber of the Grand Palace  
  
"Err... Braxus?" Ranma tapped on Braxus' shoulder as he glanced over his shoulder.  
  
"What is it, Ranma? Can't you see I'm trying to find out the location of the Tomb?" Braxus whispered.  
  
"I think this is more important right now," Ranma said, having suddenly caught sight of something moving the shadows.  
  
Braxus turned around, wondering what Ranma was on about. He then quickly reached for the hilt of his shortsword as he saw two warriors creeping towards them from a passageway to their right. They were clad in jet-black armour and scarlet robes, and their hideous death masks revealed their identity to the Kai Masters.  
  
"Drakkar warriors. Ranma, you take the right guy, I'll take the left." Braxus unsheathed his sword.  
  
Ranma nodded as he drew his sword from the scabbard. The Darklord immediately turned his attention from probing the Zakhan's mind to the upper floor where Ranma and Braxus were currently hiding. He had detected something that could potentially destroy him: the Sommerswerd.  
  
A terrible roar of hate and rage filled the hall from below as the Darklord had finally sensed the presence of the two Kai Masters. "Kill them at once!"   
  
The Drakkarim unsheathed their black swords, eager to obey their master's command as they engaged the two Kai Masters. As they were fighting the Drakkarim warriors, Ranma saw out of the corner of his eye the silhouette of Darklord Haakon halfway up the steps, his spiked fist raised and pointed at them. Sensing the power building up within his fist, Ranma immediately dived to avoid the blast, while Braxus did the same as he also sensed what the Darklord was about to do.  
  
There was a deafening crack as a bolt of blue lightning streaked from a stone in the Darklord's hand and hurtled at the two Kai Masters. As Ranma and Braxus dodged the lightning bolt, the two Drakkarim warriors, who were wondering why the two Kai Lords had suddenly broken off from their fight, glanced over their shoulders to see a bolt of blue lightning heading towards them. In a flash of light the Drakkarim were gone, leaving just cinders and the rotten odour of scorched flesh.  
  
Looking at what had happened to the two warriors, Ranma and Braxus looked at each other in shock and awe at the power level of Darklord Haakon.  
  
"Ranma, let's get the hell outta here now!" Braxus shouted as ducked under another lightning bolt.  
  
"I'm going, I'm going!" Ranma had already started to run as another bolt was hurled from the hall, tearing into the ceiling with shattering effect. Splinters of razor-sharp marble whistled down, slashing their cloaks and tunics as they raced through a silver archway and along a balcony that overlooked another portion of the lower palace.  
  
A peal of bells and the crunch of iron-shod boots echoed in their ears - the Zakhan had sounded the alarm, which meant that if they stayed here they would be surrounded by hundreds of guards. Another alarm was heard in a distant part of palace.  
  
Soon Ranma and Braxus came to the end of the balcony where their route was split into another archway and a staircase, both of which seemed to be deserted.  
  
"Which way?" Ranma said; he could hear the sound of men approaching ever nearer.  
  
"The staircase," Braxus decided as he started down the stairs. Ranma was about to follow his brother, but stopped when he saw him racing back from the stairway and through the archway.  
  
"My mistake, through the archway," Braxus shouted.  
  
"Braxus, make up your mind will you?"  
  
Ranma was confused as to why Braxus had changed his mind until he saw heavily armed guards climbing up the stairway. As soon as Ranma ran though the arch, he bumped into a black-robed palace guard. The impact almost threw Ranma off balance, but he managed to grab the wall to stop him from falling over. The guard lay sprawled upon the floor, but with incredible swiftness he drew a shining steel axe and lashed out at Ranma's legs.  
  
Using his martial arts reflexes, Ranma whirled his feet away from the shining steel and narrowly escaped losing his legs as the axe bit several inches deep into the polished stone floor. The guard was about to strike at Ranma with another blow, which this time would kill him instantly when...  
  
A blade suddenly stuck out of the guard's chest due to Braxus running him through with Excalibur to save his brother. The guard gasped before falling face first, dead, onto the marble floor. Braxus wiped his sword before sheathing it back in his scabbard.  
  
"Ranma, will you stop playing around? We have to get outta here!" Braxus helped his brother get to his feet.  
  
"I had the situation way under control!" Ranma replied.  
  
"Whatever, Ranma; whatever you say," Braxus said sarcastically.  
  
Ranma was about to say something else when he heard the sound of pounding feet and realised that the palace guard were on full alert: together with the Drakkarim, they were now hell-bent on finding and killing them as quickly as possible.  
  
Beyond the hallway was a bridge that rose at a slanted angle over an enclosed garden, joining this part of the palace to a needle-like tower of white marble. Braxus noticed there were an awful lot of people forming a chain as they handed buckets of water to each other at the bottom of the garden. Looking ahead he could see that a large wing of the palace was ablaze and the people had tried to form a chain of bucket-carriers to put out the inferno that threatened to destroy a portion of the palace.  
  
"I was wondering what the second alarm was," Braxus thought. For some reason, he couldn't help but feel a little guilty about causing the blazing inferno.  
  
Seeing that they had no choice but to enter the tower, they both ran inside and slammed the door shut behind them. Ranma quickly placed a huge metal bar to secure it; but judging by the amount of pounding on the door, it wouldn't last long.  
  
Braxus was currently trying to think of which way to go, as there were two flights of spiral stairs that met at a landing.   
  
"Ranma, up or down?" Braxus shouted to his brother who was trying to hold back the door as numerous Drakkar warriors attempt to batter it down.  
  
"What!" Ranma shouted. "Can't hear you with all that racket!" Ranma pointed to his ears due to the Drakkarim shouting and cursing on the other side of the door.  
  
"Ranma, I said should we go up or down the staircase?"  
  
"Up the stairs. Going down will lead to the ground floor and I don't think we can fight our way out!" Ranma quickly bolted up the staircase, and Braxus did the same as the door was knocked down and Drakkar warriors started to pour into the tower.  
  
"Get them," growled one of the Drakkar warriors said as they caught a glimpse of Braxus' green Kai tunic as he ascended the stairs.  
  
The stairs were high and steep. As Ranma and Braxus raced up the staircase, they forced their aching legs to climb while they could hear the Drakkarim less than a dozen steps behind them. Kicking open the door, they reached the top of the tower in record time.  
  
An open arch led out onto a platform where a huge kettledrum stood; Braxus realised that the tower was used to send messages to other palace towers. A bleached hide was stretched across its surface and a black wooden beater hung from the side. Looking around, Ranma realised they were trapped as there was no other stairs leading down from the accursed tower. Ranma then had a sudden idea and started to try to push the kettledrum towards the stairway where he could hear the Drakkarim gasping for breath, but determined to kill them.  
  
"Hey Braxus, do you mind giving me a hand?" Ranma was trying to move the huge drum with all of his strength.  
  
Braxus soon realised what it was Ranma trying to do, and they used their combined efforts to move the heavy object. They succeeded finally as the heavy copper drum rolled from its wooden base and crashed down the tower stairs, a thunderous boom echoing from the dark as it careered on a collision course with the enemy. Ranma could hear the screams of horror cut short as the drum hurtled through the ranks of the Drakkarim, crushing them into the hard, stone steps.  
  
"Heheheh, serves them right," Ranma said. Looking down the staircase, he could see the Drakkarim warriors lying dead and squashed while the drum continued rolling down the staircase with a loud racket.  
  
"Eh... Braxus we're trapped aren't we?" Ranma enquired, noticing that the only way down was the stairway they had just climbed, and judging by the sounds of footsteps. The Drakkarim were coming back with reinforcements.  
  
Braxus nodded slowly as he peered over the side. "It seems like we have to fight our way down." He reached for his sword in preparation.  
  
"We could always jump?" Ranma suggested as he peered over the wall. Braxus gave him an odd look.  
  
"What did I say?" Ranma asked innocently.  
  
Braxus sighed.  
  
"Ranma, we are about two hundred feet above ground," Braxus hinted to his younger Brother.  
  
"So? I don't see what the problem is." Braxus placed his hand over his face and sighed again.  
  
"So unless we sprout wings, we've got no choice but to fight our way down."  
  
Ranma nodded sheepishly as he realised the implications that Braxus had pointed out. Braxus was about to say something else when he heard a very familiar mental voice.  
  
*Master, I found you at last!*   
  
Braxus turned around to see Kalona perched along the wall. Braxus rushed over to his missing companion. "Kalona, thank goodness you're still alive. I had thought that you'd left me."  
  
Kalona shook her head. *No, master, I wouldn't leave you; it's just that it took me a while to find you in this huge city. Besides, I like you: you have treated me better than any of the other masters I have served.*  
  
Braxus smiled at the friendship between them.  
  
"Kalona, do you think you can help us?" Braxus asked, but realised that there was little magical bird could do in this type of situation.  
  
*Hmm..." Kalona thought about it for a moment.  
  
"Braxus, do you mind speeding things up? I don't think I can hold them off any longer." Ranma was trying to hold back the door as the Drakkar warriors were pushing their way onto the roof of the tower.  
  
*Master, I do have an idea. Would you mind stepping back a bit?* Kalona mentally suggested. Braxus complied.  
  
*A little more.*   
  
"What are you going to do?" questioned Braxus.  
  
*Just watch, master.* Braxus swore that Kalona had smirked as she flew up into the air.  
  
Kalona circled around the tower a few times. She then stopped in midair as a brilliant light flashed forth, causing Ranma and Braxus to shield their eyes with their arms as the they were temporary blinded by the dazzling, white light. The people of Barrakeesh and the Darklord's warriors looked up to see a bright ball of light appearing above the tower. All were wondering what the hell it was; people started to cry out on the streets something along the lines of the holy return of the Majhan; others that the Gods are angry with them for something.  
  
***  
  
Somewhere in Southern Magnamund  
A regal and elegantly robed black-haired man with a single silver highlight spat out his wine he had just sipped as his advanced magical senses picked up a unique magical source.   
  
*Now dear, there was no need for that,* his wife communicated mentally. They were currently eating dinner in their personal citadel.  
  
She was dressed in an elegant, purple evening dress. She was very beautiful, but underneath her looks was great magical knowledge and experience; she had been through a lot in her life, but with her husband by her side, she was happy and her husband felt the same way.  
  
*I'm sorry, but did you detect that sudden change in the magical stream?*  
  
He had just sensed a very powerful source of magic that closely resembled Shianti magic, but it was mixed in with two other unknown magical sources.   
  
*Yes, I did. It seems to be coming from the northern region of Magnamund, but I can't pinpoint the exact location,* she replied as she took a bite of her meal.  
  
*You don't suppose it's a...* the man suggested.  
  
She nodded in acknowledgement. *But I thought they were supposed to be extinct?*   
  
*So did I,* he replied. *I have a feeling that those two Kai Masters are somehow involved in this,* he concluded.  
  
*Maybe we should arrange a meeting to contact them?* she suggested, but her husband shook his head.  
  
*No, my dear, I have a feeling that they will soon know of our existence; and besides, I still want to see how good Wild Horse and Swift Blade will have become when they do arrive here.*  
  
*I still say we should send an envoy to make contact with them to avoid confusion. Oh, I have something to tell you that is more important than concerning yourself with those two fledging Kai Masters.*  
  
*Err... does this involve us having this lovely dinner you have made and why we have to dress up like this?* he questioned.  
  
She nodded shyly. *A little.*  
  
She leaned over and whispered something in his ear: *I'm with child, dear.*  
  
She then sat back down. She was a bit nervous at how her husband would react, but her nervousness faded at his reaction.  
  
Her husband fainted at the prospect at becoming a father, but sent her a message to say he was happy before he lost consciousness. He realised they would have a strong heir to master both his Shianti and her Wytchcraft magic.  
  
*Well, at least he is happy at the idea.* She looked affectionately at her husband before materialising a cup of water to wake him up.  
  
***  
  
Soon the brilliance subsided and Braxus lowered his arm to see something that made his jaw drop. Instead of the blue feathered bird, he saw a gigantic bird looking somewhat like an eagle in shape and form, but far larger and with a crest of feathers rising from its head and along its neck. Each of the bird's feathers glowed with a white and blue radiance.  
  
"Err... Kalona is that you?" Braxus asked hesitantly. Ranma was staring at the bird with awe and respect.  
  
*Yes master, I am still Kalona; this is my advanced adult form, a Celastrix, divine messenger of Ishir and loyal servant to Alyss.* Her voice was filled with authority and a sense of peace.  
  
*Err... why didn't you tell me you could change into that form?* Braxus questioned.  
  
*You never asked,* Kalona mentally replied.  
  
Braxus facefaulted at her reply 'I should've expected that.'  
  
*I can only maintain this form for a couple of hours due to my restrictions. I would only be considered a young adult if I were with my own kind.*  
  
Seeing the danger present, she quickly assessed the situation.  
  
*Master, climb on my back. I will take you away from this wretched place; this place is tainted with evil,* she suggested.  
  
*Now, let us leave this place now.*  
  
"Ranma, come on; we're getting outta here!" Braxus shouted. Looking over his shoulder, he could see that Ranma was still staring in awe.  
  
As Kalona was about to take off, Braxus immediately grabbed his arm and lifted him up on Kalona's back as the door finally burst open. The Drakkarim were shocked to see a huge bird on the tower.  
  
*Hang on tight!* Kalona warned her master, but not Ranma as he still couldn't understand what she was saying.  
  
"What did she say?" Ranma asked Braxus who seemed to understanding what she had said.  
  
Braxus didn't say anything but he grabbed on tight as Kalona started to beat her powerful wings as she prepared to leave the tower. Ranma jerked backward in shock and almost fell from her; luckily his brother managed to grab his foot with one hand while the other held on tightly to her back.  
  
Kalona flapped her large wings sending a huge shockwave at the Drakkar warriors who were thrown all over the place as if they were rag dolls before she took to the sky. One of the Drakkar warriors attempted to slash at Kalona with his black, tainted blade, but was soon plucked from the platform with clawed feet that crushed his body with ease before dropping it to the ground.  
  
"She said hang on tight!"  
  
Ranma followed the body's descent to the ground, landing with a sickening crack in the palace garden down below.  
  
"Jeez, now you tell me!" Ranma was hanging upside down, and from where he was hanging he could see one of the guards attempting to shoot at them with his bow.  
  
Seeing that they were in a vulnerable position, Ranma quickly unhooked his silver bow and attempted to fire his arrow from his awkward position. The arrow somehow managed to pierce the archer's armour and he fell off the tower. Once they were clear, Braxus helped Ranma to sit upright on Kalona's back as she started to gain more speed and height.  
  
Glancing over his shoulder, Ranma could see the west wing of the Grand Palace completely ruined due to the fire that had somehow started.  
  
"I don't suppose you know what cause that fire, do you?" Ranma asked pointed down below.  
  
"Eh... Probably a accident?" Braxus suggested, sweating under Ranma's gaze.  
  
"Hey, why are you looking at me like?"   
  
Ranma shrugged. "Right; an accident," Ranma said, unconvinced by his brother's statement.  
  
Ranma nudged his brother in the ribs.  
  
"Tell me again, where on Magnamund did you find her?" Ranma questioned.   
  
Braxus shrugged. "You know when Ranko transported me to that weird world? Well, it was like this..." Braxus started to explain to his brother the short version of how he had acquired Kalona. As Kalona gathered more speed and altitude, Ranma could see the golden domes of the Grand Palace growing ever smaller.  
  
"Yahoo! We made it, I think we're safe for now!" Ranma celebrated as they had finally escaped the wretched city.  
  
Braxus smiled at Ranma's celebration as he threw back his head and gave a triumphant yell that could be heard for miles around. Looking over his shoulder, his smile soon disappeared, replaced with a worried look.  
  
Ranma stop his celebration when he saw his brother's expression. He looked behind him to see what had worried his brother. His worries were confirmed as he heard the echoing chorus of shrieks that pierced the sky. Fear returned to Ranma heart as he caught sight of what Braxus had seen: a flock of Kraan, hideous, leathery winged fliers, each one carrying a Drakkar warrior on its back. By his estimation they were about a mile behind Kalona and were closing quickly.  
  
"Kalona, do you think you could fly any faster?" Braxus asked.  
  
*I'm sorry, master; due to the extra weight I am carrying I cannot go any faster. This is my top speed.*  
  
"All right Kalona, I understand." Braxus then turned his attention to Ranma who was currently keeping an eye on their pursuers.  
  
"How many do you see?"   
  
"Too many. Will Kalona fly any faster?" Ranma asked, aware that he only had a dozen arrows left within his quiver.  
  
Braxus shook his head. "Kalona is already at maximum speed. I don't want to push her otherwise she will become too exhausted."  
  
"Well I think we'll have a chance to survive this encounter if we can evade them a little longer, and our chances of losing them will be higher if we can hold them off until night fall." Ranma explained his idea.  
  
"Seems like a good plan to me," Braxus agreed. "How long till they catch us up?"   
  
"About twenty minutes, and there's still about a hour of sunlight left. Anyway, do you know where this tomb is that we're suppose to find?"   
  
Braxus pulled out a map of Vassagonia and started to work out where they were.  
  
"Hmm... we're about a couple of miles from Barrakeesh so I think that we should be making our way towards the Dahir Pass, which means we have to fly over the Dahir Mountains. Maybe we could lose our pursuers over the mountains."   
  
"Don't tell me that, tell Kalona! She's the one flying us there," Ranma pointed out. Braxus nodded and quickly leaned towards Kalona's ear.  
  
"Kalona, I want you to steer south towards Dahir Pass; and try to fly low, we don't want to be sitting ducks, okay?"  
  
*Dahir Pass it is,* Kalona acknowledged her master's command. *Hold on tight.*  
  
This time Ranma was ready as Braxus silently signalled for him to hold on as Kalona swooped down to gather more speed.  
  
Kalona nodded as she started to alter her course southwards. Soon they were over the mountainous Dahir range. Ranma was currently trying to pick off the Kraan with his bow and with his pinpoint accuracy they had started to fall like flies. Braxus watched them spiralling down, but he knew that although Ranma could keep this up indefinitely, he was quickly running out of arrows, and there was still plenty of those Kraan riders out there.  
  
*Kalona, can't you do anything to outmanoeuvre them?" Braxus frantically asked her as their pursuers were almost on top of them.   
  
*I do have one trick up my wing, but it's kinda more dangerous for us than them,* Kalona suggested as her mental defences were slowly being weakened by the constant mind bombardments.  
  
"Do it," Braxus ordered.  
  
Ranma was wondering what Kalona was going and was about to ask when he happened to look over his shoulder. Ranma saw someone that was beginning to annoy him to no end. On the back of one of the Kraan was a Vordak that Ranma had first encountered when he was travelling to Holmgard during Darklord Zagarna's invasion of Sommerlund.  
  
The Vordak was closing in on them fast and spread its red-robed arms before it attempted to leap towards Kalona in a single bold move. Ranma knew that if the Vordak were to land on Kalona, its skeletal fingers would do great harm to her feathered flesh. Seeing the danger, Ranma knew what to do.  
  
"Ranma, hang on tight, Kalona is about to..." Braxus glanced over his shoulder.  
  
Ranma was nowhere to be seen.  
  
"Ranma!" Braxus spun around fearing that Ranma had fallen and was about to ask Kalona to turn around and find him.  
  
"Kalona, where is here? Do you see him!"   
  
Kalona looked down below her to indicate that she had spotted Ranma.  
  
*Down there.*  
  
Braxus looked to where she was pointing to see Ranma engaging the Vordak on the back of its Kraan with the Sommerswerd drawn.  
  
Braxus breathed a deep sigh of relief. "I've got to admit, he sure is courageous and brave; but sometimes I do question the motives of his actions." Ranma was known to do things before thinking; like jumping from his mount a couple of thousand metres in the air and onto another mount without a care in the world.  
  
He could see that the Sommerswerd had started to glow and Ranma unleashed a vivid golden flame that shot out along the blade. The Vordak shrieked in terror as he realised that Ranma possessed a very dangerous weapon. With one swing of the Sommerswerd, the Vordak was easily cleaved into two as the blade went through him like a hot knife through butter. Unfortunately, the Vordak managed unbalance Ranma off the mount just before he met his demise.   
  
Kalona saw Ranma falling off the Kraan and instantly knew what to do. She flew down at great speed in the hope of catching Ranma before he hit the ground. Braxus was currently holding tightly onto Kalona's feathered back as she dived at a ninety-degree angle. She swooped down and plucked Ranma in midair as gently as possible with her clawed feet.  
  
Ranma looked up and gave the thumbs up sign to Braxus as he saw the concern written on his face. *Err... Master, there is something ahead that you should know about,* Kalona mentally said, looking at something ahead not commonly found.  
  
"What is it Kalona?" Braxus said, focused upon trying to get Ranma back onto Kalona's back.  
  
*It would be better for you to see it yourself.* Kalona suggested, spotting something emerging from a bank of cloud on the skyline.  
  
"I'm a bit busy, is it more of those Kraan?"   
  
*Nope.*  
  
"Is it a thunderstorm approaching?" Braxus said, still not looking up.  
  
*Nope, guess again.*  
  
"Well what it is then?"  
  
*A flying ship.*  
  
"WHAT!" Braxus jerked his head up and saw something that he had never expected to see in his life.  
  
Ranma looked forward as his jaw dropped in astonishment. "Err... do you what I see?" Ranma asked, not believing his eyes.  
  
Braxus slowly nodded. "Yes, Ranma, I'm see a flying ship ahead. What are you seeing?"   
  
"The same thing." Ahead of them was a small flying craft, slightly bigger than an Unoram river barge, with two triangular sails swept back either side of its curving prow. In the fading twilight, Ranma could see a long pennant that fluttered from its mast and could hear a faint humming emitting from the ship.  
  
"Kalona, make with due haste towards the ship," Braxus said as the rest of the Kraan were closing the distance fast.  
  
Kalona nodded and headed towards ship, currently very tired, both mentally and physically. She was almost there when one of the Kraan riders decided to fire a massive fireball spell at her. Sensing the danger, she immediately rolled over causing Ranma and Braxus to fall off her back and plummet towards the lake below. Kalona was in no position or shape to swoop in and catch them as she received a nasty burn under her left wing.  
  
Ranma and Braxus thought that this would be the end until there was a terrific jolt followed by a flash as they realised that they were suspended in midair!  
  
Ranma realised that they had been caught by a net of sticky strands like a fly in a web and they were being elevated towards the flying ship. Kalona had decided to return to her normal form to conserve energy and perched herself on the ship's railing.  
  
A voice was heard above them: "Hey you two, need a lift?"  
  
Braxus would instantly recognise that voice anywhere and he jerked his head upward to see a very familiar face that belonged to a certain blond-haired young man with deep, brooding eyes. He was dressed quite similar to his usual garb of a journey master. Braxus realised that Banedon was on his way into becoming a Guildmaster and it seemed that his old friend had achieved some distinction among his brother magicians since the last time they had seen each other. He was currently leaning across the outrigger with a large smirk on his face at the very shocked expressions on Ranma and Braxus' faces.  
  
"Well, gentlemen, don't just stand there gaping at me. You're not goldfish. Are you going to come onboard or not?" the blond-haired magician said.  
  
'It couldn't be?' Braxus' jaw dropped in astonishment.  
  
"BANEDON IS THAT YOU!" Braxus managed to shout in joy and relief.  
  
"Yeah, it's me." Banedon smiled. "So are you going to come onboard or not?" Banedon asked again.  
  
"Banedon what are you doing here?" Ranma asked as the crew of the flying ship lowered a rope ladder.  
  
Banedon scratched his chin as if he was in deep thought. "Well, you see I was in the neighbourhood and I saw you were in trouble. So, acting like a best friend would, I came to see if you needed a lift," Banedon said with a smirk.  
  
"Banedon, incoming on the port side!" a crewmember shouted out.  
  
As the flock of Kraan attacked Banedon's flying ship, Ranma and Braxus immediately started to climb up the rope ladder to get onboard. They were greeted by three bearded dwarves clad in bright, padded battle jerkins. The small sky ship was under attack from the Kraan riders and a large skirmish began onboard the ship.  
  
"Ranma, take Kalona below decks." Braxus handed the weak and injured bird to his brother.  
  
Ranma nodded and carefully carried her below. Braxus scanned the battle scene and spotted his friend Banedon on the fortified platform. Ducking beneath the boomsail, Braxus clambered onto the platform in time to see a desperate struggle between the blond-haired magician and the airborne riders.  
  
"Need any help?" Braxus shouted.  
  
Banedon whirled around after shooting down a Kraan rider.  
  
"Some help would be greatly appreciated." Banedon smiled as Braxus joined the struggle.  
  
Braxus and Banedon were currently fighting off the Drakkar warriors who were trying to gain possession of the fortified command platform. They had managed to deal with all those attempting to overwhelm the Command Bridge thus far.  
  
"Just like old times, don't you think, Banedon?" Braxus swung his sword in a wide arc and Excalibur cleanly sliced through Drakkar sword and armour.  
  
Banedon chuckled a little. "Don't you think it's a little strange that fate bought us three together on this day?" Banedon levelled his magestaff at a Drakkar, zapping him to a crisp.  
  
"Now that you mention it, I think you're right; it is a little too convenient." Braxus parried a blow from a Drakkar who had managed to dismount from his Kraan.  
  
Looking onto main deck, he could see that Ranma had the situation under control and was managing to help fend off the incoming assaults. Ranma gave a thumbs up to say that he was okay and also to say that Kalona was safe below decks as she needed time to rest and recover.  
  
Banedon was about to reach for the ship's helm but was ambushed by a Drakkar warrior who had jumped off his flying mount and landed behind the young magician.  
  
"Banedon, watch out!" Braxus cried out a warning to his friend.  
  
Banedon whirled around at hearing Braxus' warning and attempted to block the twisted black scimitar. The blade went through his robes, but luckily Banedon managed to divert the blade away from his vital organs with his Guildstaff. Banedon stumped down onto the floor as the Drakkar attempted to finish off the young, wounded magician.  
  
Braxus came charging in furiously and killed the Drakkar by slicing his head off with one clean arc with his sword. He was so preoccupied with aiding his wounded friend that a Kraan rider swooped down towards Braxus with a crossbow levelled at his head.  
  
He fired and the bolt shot towards Braxus' head. Then a shrill, metallic whine rang out in his ear as the bolt miraculously ricocheted away, deflected by an invisible shield.   
  
Looking over to where Banedon lay, he could see him lowering his staff, the trace of a wry smile appearing on his pain-wracked face.  
  
"Braxus, you must learn to cover your own back. I can't be always there to help you, you know," Banedon joked. "Help me to my feet, we must escape before they drag us from the sky." Braxus nodded.  
  
"Banedon, are you seriously wounded?" he asked in concern.  
  
"I'll live; but we must get rid of these annoying pests, otherwise the ship will be in danger!"   
  
Ranma soon appeared on the bridge wondering what was happening and, seeing them in trouble instantly rushed up to them and helped fend off the invaders while Banedon reached for the console.  
  
While Ranma held off the invaders, Braxus helped his friend grasp the ship's helm - a radiant crystal sphere with hundreds of glowing facets set on a slim silver rod. No sooner had his hands closed around the crystal than a tremendous explosion was heard.  
  
A huge cloud of smoke, which engulfed a cabin perched on the rear deck, followed the explosion.  
  
"What the hell was that!" Ranma said as he held onto the railing, thinking that the ship had been hit by something.  
  
Braxus was currently trying to heal Banedon as best as he could. Although his injuries were bad, they weren't life threatening as he had managed to avoid being hit into the vital parts of his body. Banedon insisted that he remain on the bridge to control the ship, as he was the only one able to do so despite Braxus' suggestion that he should go below decks.  
  
The smoke cleared to reveal the grinning face of a dwarf at the cabin window. A smear of soot blackened his rosy cheeks and exaggerated the whiteness of his crooked teeth. Ranma noticed that in his hands was some sort of device that resembles a rifle from his original dimension. Although the weapon was very inaccurate and crude, it had served it main purpose: to scare the creatures away from the ship.  
  
Ranma could see that the Kraan were terrified by the noise, and they turned their leathery tails and flew away as their Drakkar riders uselessly tried to stop them.  
  
"Banedon, it's all clear!" Ranma shouted as the Kraan were now in the distance. "Let's get outta here!"  
  
Banedon then used all of his strength to steer the craft about, banking steeply until the ship faced the darkening peaks of the southern mountains and the distinct V-shaped cleft of the Dahir Pass.  
  
As soon as they were out of danger, Banedon finally allowed himself to relax. The dwarves were currently clearing the deck of battle debris while Ranma helped carry the wounded below decks so that they could receive proper treatment. Braxus helped Banedon to his feet while applying his advanced Healing techniques on his wounds.  
  
As Braxus was helping Banedon with his wounds, he started to tell him what had happened from the moment they had arrived in Vassagonia right up to this fateful meeting. Banedon listened intently to Braxus' account and came to the logical conclusion on what they should do.  
  
"The future of Sommerlund rests in our hands, Braxus. We must stop Darklord Haakon from destroying the Book of the Magnakai." Banedon's voice was full of grim determination.  
  
"I don't suppose you know where the Tomb of the Majhan is?" Braxus asked hopefully.  
  
"Hmm... I have heard tell of the Tomb of the Majhan from the nomads of the Dry Main. They say it is a terrible place, a place of horror and death - for what little there is left to die there." Banedon was feeling much better and his strength was returning due to Braxus' help.  
  
"Well that's just great! We managed to escape from one hellhole with our lives and now we have to go to another one!" Ranma commented as he clambered up onto the fortified platform to see how Braxus and Banedon were doing.  
  
"We've got no choice, Ranma. The future of the Kai order is a stake."   
  
Banedon nodded in agreement. "Yes, you are right Braxus. The only problem we face is that I do not know the actual location of the Tomb of Majhan. All I know is that the tomb lies beyond the Dahir Pass and near the oasis of Bal Loftan. The Tomb is isolated in the inhospitable Dry Main, many miles from human habitation, and its location has been lost for centuries. There are only a few traces that remain of the Majhan's glorious rule, but most have long since disappeared beneath the shifting sands of the Dry Main." Banedon noticed the disappointment on Ranma and Braxus' faces at the bad news.   
  
"However, all is not lost," Banedon said to lift their spirits. "There is a man who can guide us there; his name is Tipasa Edarouk - Tipasa the Wanderer. It is he who we must seek, for he is the only man who has ever entered the Tomb of the Majhan and lived to tell the tale."  
  
"So, where does this Tipasa live?" inquired Ranma.  
  
"Oh, that's easy. Tipasa lives in Ikaresh, as it's his birthplace and the home of his family. He spends most of his days roaming the Dry Main, but he always returns to Ikaresh. Ikaresh is just a little to the west of where we are and we should arrive there in the morning." Banedon got up, feeling much better.  
  
Banedon then took over the helm of his extraordinary ship, the Skyrider, as the dwarves called it. It sped through the gathering darkness towards the Dahir Pass. Visibility diminished with each passing minute until they could not see further than the outriggers. Ranma and Braxus were clinging to the ship's railing as the Skyrider veered but a fraction off course - but remained with safety limits. Braxus thought that if the Skyrider veered a little more then they would be smashed to pieces against the mountainside.  
  
"Do not worry, Swift Blade." A dwarf walked over to Braxus and introduced himself as Nolrim, the senior member of the dwarf crew.  
  
"The Captain will see us through." Braxus could see that Banedon was standing with his hand resting lightly on the glowing crystal, relaxed, as if in a trance. His eyes were closed and a crackle of energy, like fine white lightning, traced an intricate pattern over his forehead and temples.  
  
Braxus decided to stay on deck with Banedon to keep a watchful eye open for any trouble while Ranma decided that he had other things to do and went below decks.  
  
Ranma went to the ship's mess hall at the rear end of the Skyrider, as he wanted something to eat, not having eaten anything for the past twenty hours. Kalona was in the corner of the room quietly sleeping as she tried to regain some of her energy after her ordeal. Braxus and Banedon were on the bridge, catching up on old times. Also in the mess hall was a couple of off-duty dwarves.  
  
"Master Wild Horse, please come and sit with us; we have plenty of food." Nolrim invited Ranma to come and sit with them as they excitedly recounted their victory over the Kraan riders.  
  
Ranma gladly accepted their offer seeing that the table was cluttered with plates of steaming food and jugs of foaming ale. The rich smell of spiced meat and Bor-brew filled his nostril and Ranma immediately tucked into the hot meal.  
  
Braxus soon came down from above decks after making sure that Banedon was okay. The rich smell coming from the mess hall was too much of a temptation for him as it reminded him of how ravenously hungry he was.   
  
"Hi," Ranma greeted his brother. "I suppose you're hungry too?"   
  
Braxus nodded, "You bet I am!" he said as one of dwarves moved along to allow more room for their Kai guest.  
  
He was immediately given a plate of hot food.  
  
"How is Banedon, is he okay?" Ranma asked as he made short work of his meal.  
  
"He's fine, just feeling a little weak, but he will make a full recovery by the morning," Braxus said, his meal almost finished.  
  
Once both Ranma and Braxus had finished their meals, they noticed that the dwarves were staring at them, not because of the sheer speed at which they had eaten their meal, but due to them not touching their jugs of ale.  
  
"Err... Braxus, I think they expect us to drink this ale?" Ranma whispered.  
  
"I don't really drink much and I heard that Bor-brew is so strong that many cities of Magnamund have banned it for the fear of the havoc it can cause," Braxus replied. "Oh what the heck, what can a jug of ale do to you?" He threw caution to the wind and lifted the jug.  
  
Ranma smiled and did the same. Both of them took a large gulp of the ale, which they found to be thick and creamy with a taste like malted apples. They then placed the half-empty tankards onto the table and wiped away the froth from their lips with their sleeves.  
  
The dwarves pretended to continue their meal as they watched the two humans take a gulp of the ale. They then paused in their meal as they started to light their large hooded pipes. Through the bluish hue of the pipe smoke that clouded the low cabin roof, Ranma noticed that they were casting nervous glances at him and his brother, as if they were about to explode at any moment. They hadn't expected Ranma or Braxus to take the drink so easily.  
  
Five minutes passed; then Nolrim raised his tankard and proclaimed a toast:  
  
"To Wild Horse- A MAN AMONG DWARVES!"  
  
The dwarves guffawed at Nolrim's wry toast and raised their tankards in a salute to Ranma's courage and fortitude.   
  
"A man among dwarves! Three cheers for Wild Horse!"   
  
Ranma's left eye started to twitch for no apparent reason while at the same time he received a chilling feeling as if someone had walked over his grave.  
  
***  
  
Somewhere in Nerima   
  
Genma Saotome was running as fast as he could, trying to get away from the person that he most feared, even more so than his dreaded master, Happosai.  
  
Was it the Musk Dynasty tribe?   
  
Nope.  
  
Was it the Amazon people?   
  
Not even close.  
  
Was it all the people and their families that he had cheated by using Ranma as his bargaining tool?  
  
Yeah right, like he really cared about those arrangements.  
  
The one thing that he was absolutely afraid of was...  
  
His wife, Nodoka Saotome, who was chasing her husband across Nerima. In one hand she waved a piece of paper that looked like some sort of contract, while in the other hand she was wielding a very sharp looking Katana.  
  
"GENMA! YOU COME BACK HERE AND FACE YOUR PUNISHMENT AS WRITTEN IN THIS SEPPUKU CONTRACT!" she shouted.   
  
Most of the people along the sidewalk seeing this amusing chase thought it was quite funny to see a crazed woman wielding a Katana chasing after a giant panda.  
  
"HOW COULD YOU LOSE MY BABY! YOU SAID YOU WOULD RAISE HIM AS A MAN AMONG MEN!" She swung her Katana in a wide arc, trying to disembowel Genma.  
  
*Honey, can we just sit down and talk about this?* were the words he wrote on a wooden sign, as he couldn't talk while he was in his cursed form.  
  
Nodoka's Katana sliced the wooden sign into two pieces.  
  
*Maybe not,* Genma immediately wrote on another sign that appeared from nowhere.  
  
'Hmm, the North Pole seems like a good place to go," Genma thought as he continued to outrun his wife by turning left down an alleyway.  
  
Nodoka followed him down the alleyway, which led to dead end. She wondered where her husband was; it seemed that he had simply disappeared and she was about to leave the place when...  
  
A red-haired, pig-tailed young lady appeared from nowhere and silently pointed towards a couple of large garbage bins.  
  
Nodoka silently thanked the young woman as she crept towards the largest garbage bin.   
  
"Here, you may need this." The young lady handed Nodoka an extra sharp and long Katana.   
  
"Why thank you." She gracefully accepted as she sheathed her family Katana; no point spilling cowardly blood over it.  
  
She then politely told her to leave, as this could get a bit messy.  
  
Lifting the bin lid up, Nodoka found what she was looking for.  
  
*Err... hi honey?* were the last words that Genma wrote as he saw a dangerous glint in her eye.   
  
(Where the hell does he get these wooden signs from? I mean pandas do not have pockets.)  
  
***   
  
Back on the Skyrider  
  
"Ranma, I think you should take your brother to one of our bunks," Nolrim suggested as he saw the condition Braxus was in.   
  
"What do you mean?" Ranma asked, confused until he turned his attention towards his brother. "Oh..." Ranma said as he saw his brother had collapsed.  
  
"It seems that master Swift Blade couldn't seem to handle the Bor-brew like you could," Nolrim said.   
  
Ranma nodded. "Be back in minute." He rose up from his seat and grabbed his brother's left arm over his shoulder as he carried Braxus through to the next room where there were a couple of bunks. Nolrim pointed helpfully to the largest bunk they had.   
  
Carefully placing him onto the bunk, Ranma sighed as realised that his brother was going to have one heck of a hangover when he woke up. Making sure that he was comfortable, Ranma went back to the mess room to find Nolrim was the only one there as all the other dwarves had decided to call it a day and retired to their respective bunks.  
  
Ranma sat down opposite Nolrim, who was smoking his pipe.  
  
"So, Nolrim, how did you meet Banedon and how did he manage to gain possession of this marvellous ship?" Ranma asked. Nolrim lowered his pipe.  
  
"Hmm..." Nolrim scratched his forehead. "Three years ago, our former captain, Quan, lost his ship, cargo and crew whilst gambling at cards."  
  
'Man, and I thought I was bad at cards," Ranma thought, making a mental note not to play against Banedon in a game of cards.  
  
"It seems that Quan was unaware of Banedon's true profession until it was far too late. As a result, our blond-haired magician became our first non-dwarf captain and ever since then we've had many bold adventurers with him across the lands and skies of Southern Magnamund," Nolrim explained as he offered Ranma his pipe.   
  
Ranma refused politely. "You still haven't answered how Banedon got hold of this ship?"   
  
"Oh, that's easy; this flying ship was the reward for Banedon when he helped the Magicians of Dessi to defeat the Gagodoth: a terrifying creature that terrorised their land, and over which their own sorcery could not prevail."  
  
"Wow, I didn't know Banedon was that good!" exclaimed Ranma in surprise.  
  
Nolrim nodded. "Captain Banedon is indeed a talented magician, but from what I have seen in you in last twenty four hours, you are a skilled warrior worthy of the title Kai Master, Lord Wild Horse," Nolrim commented.  
  
Ranma thanked him. He then yawed loudly as the fatigue of his ordeal finally caught up with him and he was finding it more and more difficult to keep his eyes open. "Follow me, Wild Horse. I'll show you to your quarters." Nolrim showed Ranma to a bunk in the hull of the Skyrider.  
  
Ranma then climbed into bed and pulled the blankets over his aching limbs.  
  
"I'm sorry for the size of the bunk; it is designed for dwar..." Nolrim was interrupted by the sound of snoring as his words fell on deaf ears; Ranma had already fallen asleep.  
  
"Well Goodnight, Master Wild Horse," Nolrim said as he closed the cabin door.  
  
***  
  
It was late afternoon when the Skyrider finally reached its destination. Banedon carefully landed the ship behind the hill that overlooked the town of Ikaresh. He moored the Skyrider to a pinnacle of stone before lowering a rope ladder to the ground. Banedon suggested that Ranma should stay behind and watch out for any Kraan patrols. Ranma grudgingly agreed and watched as Braxus and Banedon climbed down the ladder and walked the rest of the distance by foot to locate Tipasa while Ranma, Nolrim and the crew waited in hiding for them to return. Banedon realised that the sight of the Skyrider hovering above the mountain town would be sure to arouse unwanted interest in their arrival and hinder their search for Tipasa.  
  
Three hours passed as Ranma waited for his brother and Banedon to return from Ikaresh. To pass the time, Ranma decided to practice his swordplay as he had been neglecting his weapons training over the past few days, instead concentrating on his martial arts. After enough training, he decided to play a few card games with Nolrim and the crew to relieve his boredom.  
  
Several hands later, Ranma heard one of the dwarves call out that he had spotted Braxus and Banedon appearing atop the hill as they made their way back from Ikaresh. As soon as they were aboard the Skyrider, Ranma rushed up to greet them, but was puzzled to see that only Braxus and Banedon had returned.  
  
"Well, did you find him?" Ranma asked.  
  
Both of them sported sad expressions as they shook their heads.  
  
"What happened?"   
  
"Tipasa was kidnapped a few days ago by a band of Drakkar warriors and they are using to him to find the location of the Tomb of Majhan."  
  
"Damn!" Ranma smacked his palm with his fist. "Now what are we going to do?" he said in an angry tone.  
  
"Fear not Ranma, I do have something that will lead us to the location of the Tomb: Tipasa's diary of his travels through the Dry Main." Banedon showed him the book that he had under his arm.  
  
Ranma opened the book to see that it was full of cryptic symbols, numbers and pictograms, and he had no clue on where to start looking.  
  
"Ranma, those symbols and drawings represent the night stars - an astronomical drawing. With my star charts I will soon unravel Tipasa's cryptic clues. I'm sure that this book contains the answers," Banedon explained, noticing the confused look on Ranma's face as he flipped through a couple of pages.  
  
"Nolrim, prepare to set sail," Banedon ordered.  
  
"Aye, Captain." Nolrim nodded. "Trim the boomsail men," he shouted to the other dwarves. Banedon signalled to Ranma and Braxus to meet him in his cabin while he prepared the ship for take off.   
  
The Skyrider rose into the clear, blue sky and Nolrim was handed the helm by Banedon who then went to his cabin where his friends were waiting. For three hours Banedon pored over his charts, making very complex calculations, checking instrument readings and racking his brain for the solution that would pinpoint the Tomb of the Majhan. Braxus tried to help him with his calculations, but he was finding the last clue difficult. Ranma was sitting in the corner patching up his torn Kai cloak.  
  
"It's no use," Banedon said; the numbers on the last page made no sense. "I cannot fathom these numbers." He slammed his fist in frustration.  
  
"What's wrong?" Ranma said, walking over to the table where Braxus and Banedon were still trying to work it out.  
  
"I can't seem to work them out; these clues make no sense!" Braxus explained as he showed Ranma the diary page in question. Banedon had assumed that the numbers were the positions of the stars encoded to three numbers that would hopefully give the precise location of the Tomb. Ranma took one glance at the page and instantly knew the answer to their problem as Banedon and Braxus recalculated and checked their work to see if they had missed anything.  
  
"Oh that's easy: it's 373," Ranma simply answered.  
  
Banedon and Braxus stopped dead in their tracks and looked up to stare at Ranma as if he had grown another head or something. A dead silence filled the cabin.  
  
"Care to share how you managed to work that out?" Braxus asked, wondering if this was the real Ranma they were seeing.  
  
"Yes, Ranma, an explanation would be helpful?" asked Banedon as he wondered how the hell Ranma had worked it out.  
  
"You see, Tipasa wrote the clues upside down in his diary and also in tiny writing." Ranma pointed to the writing in the diary. "The answers to the clues are: there are three oases on the trail between Ikaresh and Bir Rabalou; there are seven cities in Vassagonia; while there are only three main islands off the coast of Cape Kabar. So, put together, this gives you the answer of 373," Ranma explained, aware of the surprised expressions of Braxus and Banedon.  
  
"Well Ranma, it's nice to see you have a brain!" teased Braxus at his brother's sudden burst of intelligence.  
  
"That's it! Ranma you're a genius!" exclaimed Banedon as he got up and shook Ranma by the shoulder before stabbing his finger at a map of the Dry Main covering the table.  
  
"One hundred and fifteen miles due west of Bir Rabalou; one hundred and fifteen miles due south of the oasis of Bal Loftan," muttered Banedon as he picked up a quill pen and marked the spot where the Tomb of the Majhan lay.  
  
Ranma and Braxus looked at the map where Banedon had marked the spot. Banedon noticed their looks of dismay and quickly tried to put their minds at ease.  
  
"Fear not, we'll be there before the dawn; and with the three of us working against the Darklord and his minions, we can accomplished anything," Banedon said to liven up the atmosphere as he left to inform Nolrim of the Skyrider's new course.  
  
***  
  
Dawn was breaking on the horizon of low hills, blurred and dotted with small, tufted trees. Swiftly the Skyrider had voyaged through the night to arrive at the foothills of the Koneshi Mountains undetected, having managed to avoid the Kraan patrols.  
  
"How far is the Tomb of the Majhan?" Ranma asked as the trio prepared to disembark, Banedon having decided that it would be too dangerous to fly directly into the immediate area. Also, they wanted to keep the element of surprise on their side.  
  
"About twenty fives miles to the north, across the landscape of barren rock and dry brush," Banedon said as he checked his map and his co-ordinates to ensure they were correct before they left.  
  
"Twenty five miles!" exclaimed Ranma. "You could have flown us in a bit closer couldn't you?" he suggested to Banedon.  
  
Banedon shook his head. "No, Ranma. If we flew in closer, the chance of surprise would be greatly decreased, and we must maintain it if we are to gain the upper hand over Darklord Haakon," Banedon explained.  
  
"Yeah, Ranma, aren't you up to a twenty five mile hike through the desert?" Braxus challenged his brother, knowing that Ranma wouldn't back down from any challenge.  
  
"Of course I am! Let's go." Ranma grabbed his pack and his sword and ran down the gangplank.  
  
"You know, Braxus, you shouldn't do that to him." Banedon started to follow the young Kai Master.  
  
"Do what?" Braxus said, not knowing what he was getting at.   
  
"I mean you shouldn't encourage Ranma to take on all the challenges he faces. In my experience some challenges aren't worth the hassle while others may mean the difference between life and death. It is up to Ranma to make these choices himself," Banedon explained as they finally caught up with him.  
  
Braxus nodded and quickly wrapped himself up against the cold in a camouflaged, khaki-coloured cloak; his old one would be easily visible against the desert background. Kalona was still too weak to help so they left her on board the Skyrider on Braxus' recommendation. The trio set off before dawn, anxious not to waste either time or the protective cover of darkness. They all agreed they should carry on non-stop until they reached the Tomb as time was against them.  
  
Resting at the top of a sand dune, Ranma wondered why Banedon had signalled them to remain here while they waited for something to happen.  
  
"Banedon, why are we here? Shouldn't we be making our way to the tome?" Braxus whispered.  
  
"We're already here," Banedon simply replied.  
  
"What do you mean?" Ranma said. All they could see ahead of them was a huge sand dune and darkness.  
  
"Watch and see." Banedon pointed. Ranma and Braxus looked where he was pointing to see the great golden disc of the sun rising in the sky revealing their goal for the first time.  
  
What they saw was a massive excavation exposed in the heart of this scorched land, delving deep around the tombs of its forgotten ancestors. They could see with their keen eyesight thousands of Giaks, spiteful and malicious servants of the Darklords, labouring unceasingly to remove rock and sand from this quarry, forced by the Drakkarim to drag their backbreaking loads up ramps to the rim of the crater.  
  
Ranma and Braxus then turned their attention to Banedon who was grinning at their reactions. "Banedon, how did you know where we were?" Ranma inquired as they hid their heads behind the sand dune to avoid being seen. They had been travelling through the desert without a compass or any recognisable landmarks to tell them where they were. Even the stars were clouded so they could not rely on them for navigation. This left the question: how did he manage to lead them to the exact location of the Tomb in the dark?  
  
"Yeah, Banedon. How did you know where we were?" Braxus said, also interested. He had thought they were off course by miles, but here they were on the site of the Tomb of Majhan.  
  
Banedon waved his hand to signal Ranma and Braxus to come closer.  
  
"It's a secret." Banedon tapped on his nose and the two Kai Masters facefaulted - but very quietly.  
  
Banedon smirked as Ranma and Braxus tried to recover from their quiet facefault.  
  
"Come on, you two, there is still hope we can still retrieve the book of the Magnakai. Look!" Banedon peered over the sand dune and pointed to a huge flying creature, which Ranma instantly recognised as an Imperial Zlanbeast.  
  
Braxus realised if an Imperial Zlanbeast was here, it meant that Darklord Haakon was here too, and that thought chilled his blood, but Ranma reassured him that there was still a chance as the Giaks continued to dig deeper, meaning that they hadn't found it yet.  
  
Banedon then signalled for Ranma and Braxus to come with him and they climbed down the huge sand dune. He then started to draw a diagram of the excavation site on the sand while using stones to represent various parts of the uncovered temple.  
  
"Now, Ranma, Braxus, listen to me carefully: I assume that Tipasa is likely being held captive inside the encampment and, considering they are still digging, I assume again that he is alive; I hope," Banedon said.  
  
"Don't worry, Banedon, Tipasa is alive as along as Darklord Haakon does not get his hands on the Book of the Magnakai," Ranma reassured the worried-looking magician.  
  
Banedon nodded and continued his explanation.  
  
"It is impossible to approach the crater unseen, so we have to wait until darkness before you two can enter the tomb." Ranma and Braxus nodded in understanding. "Now, the Tomb of the Majhan is split into four main chambers and, according to Tipasa's diary, this is the main one where the book is suppose to be held." Banedon pointed to the large rock in the centre of his layout.  
  
"Err... Banedon, what does this represent?" Braxus pointed to a reddish-copper stone, wondering if this was some sort of barrack or armoury tent.  
  
"That's just a stone," Banedon said and Ranma started to laugh quietly.  
  
Embarrassment appeared on Braxus' face as he looked at Ranma and Banedon sheepishly. "Oh." Ranma started to laugh even more at his brother's expense.  
  
As soon as nightfall settled in, they continued to make their way towards the Tomb while Banedon had gone off to see if he could rescue Tipasa. The Giak guards posed a few problems, but they could not overcome Ranma and Braxus' stealth and warrior skills. Additionally, they were pretty much knackered due to the Drakkarim overworking them to the point of exhaustion. Only the Drakkarim showed any sign of vigilance, but they were fewer in number compared to the thousands of Giak warriors - less than a dozen patrolled the entire crater.  
  
Hiding behind a large structure, Braxus peered around the corner to see a lone Drakkar on guard at the main entrance to the Tomb, his cruel eyes glinting behind his twisted iron death mask.  
  
"Now Ranma, I will be going around him and you should..." Braxus whispered, but turned around to see that Ranma was missing.  
  
Braxus frantically looked around him to see where he had gone when he heard a bird whistle that seemed to be coming from the main entrance.  
  
He then peered around to see that Ranma had already crept behind the lone Drakkar and taken him out without a sound. He was currently dragging the body into the Tomb. Ranma waved as Braxus sighed before he ran across to join him and they entered the temple. 'So much for teamwork!' he thought as they entered. The tomb was dimly lit by torches, which lined along the long and straight, sandstone corridors that seemed to slope away forever into the distance.  
  
At regular intervals, rough-edged slabs protruded into the main corridor. Ranma's Sixth Senses detected something wrong with them. Deciding to find out, Ranma crouched down and took a closer look at one of the slabs and, beneath it, he found something frightening.  
  
"Braxus, the whole place is booby trapped with nasty traps!" Ranma warned.  
  
"I can see that," Braxus replied.  
  
"How do you know?" Ranma wondered.  
  
Braxus pointed to the traps that had already been set off as dozens of Giak slaves lay either skewed or crushed to death. Braxus came to the conclusion that the Darklord had deliberately used the Giak slaves to set them off rather than walking through the death-trap corridor himself. Once the traps were sprung, it would clear the path, allowing passing without harm. Pit traps in the floor seemed to have been neutralised in the same way, set off by the luckless Giaks.  
  
"I think this guy is lazy," Ranma commented.  
  
"What do you mean?"   
  
"Well, it seems that he gets others to do his work rather than do it himself." Braxus chuckled at Ranma's joke as they carefully navigated around the traps and made their way down to the end of the corridor.  
  
Just over a mile along the corridor, Ranma and Braxus eventually arrived at a large stone door. The stone surround bore evidence of chisel-work, but the door itself was rock solid.  
  
"I don't suppose you have any explosives on you?" Ranma asked.  
  
Braxus shook his head. "Hmm..." He noticed a faint beam of light descending from a hole in the ceiling.  
  
"What are you thinking, Bro?" Ranma asked as he tried to shift the stone door; but his efforts were wasted as it wouldn't budge.  
  
"Ranma, I don't suppose you have some sort of crystal or prism on you?" Braxus asked as he realised the means of opening the door.  
  
Ranma searched his pockets. "Will this do?" He showed him the reflective crystal that Loi-Kymar had given to him when they were in Kalte.  
  
"That will do nicely." Braxus took the crystal, realising that the faint beam of light created a small circular pool of light, a little to one side of a similar hole in the floor. In the wall near to the door was a triangular indentation.  
  
Braxus then held the crystal in the centre of the beam and diverted the light towards the hole in the floor. His success was heard as the sound of stone grating on stone; slowly the doorway opened to reveal a large chamber.   
  
The chamber was dimly lit. Ranma and Braxus cautiously entered the room and immediately saw the rough stone throne, facing the wall on the far side of the chamber. Behind them the door slid shut with unnerving speed.   
  
The throne began to revolve. A terrible howling could be heard, changing almost instantaneously to the growling of a harsh, guttural language, the like of which Braxus had never before heard, but Ranma knew instantly who it was. Words and sounds that the mouths of men could never be shaped to speak rolled through the chamber like thunder. Ranma knew that only the Darklords themselves spoke the Dark Tongue.  
  
They realised that they weren't alone in the chamber as they saw their nemesis sitting on the throne.  
  
Haakon, Lord of Aarnak, Darklord of Helgedad.  
  
He rose from the throne, the ghastly voice still echoing from his unnatural mouth. A spiked fist opened to reveal a glowing stone: blue flames smouldered around its surface and they could feel the currents of power that radiated from its core.  
  
Suddenly, his words changed to a familiar language - Sommlending.  
  
"Welcome to the Tomb of Majhan, resting place of the dead - and soon to be yours, I will make sure of that! Look on your Doom, Kai Lord!" He pointed his spiked fist at Ranma.  
  
Ranma immediately unsheathed his golden sword on instinct alone, just in time to deflect the bolt of raw energy. It screamed from his blade and exploded into the chamber wall, gouging a hole several feet deep in the steel-hard rock. The impact jarred the Sommerswerd from his hand: the blade arced through the dust-choked air to embed itself, upright, in the stone floor. Ranma and Braxus rolled across the floor in different directions, taking cover behind the stone pillars.   
  
Looking across the chamber, Ranma could see that Braxus had unsheathed his magic sword and silently signalled to him to grab the Sommerswerd while he distracted Haakon. Ranma nodded and prepared to race towards the golden blade as he waited for Braxus' signal.  
  
"Come out, Kai Lord, and meet your doom!" Haakon started to blast the pillars with his spiked glove and was getting close to the one Ranma was hiding behind.  
  
Braxus, seeing that he was preoccupied in flushing out Ranma, ran towards the Darklord, hoping that he would catch him off guard, while at the same time, Ranma ran half-crouched toward his golden blade, grabbed the hilt and continued at full speed towards another pillar. Breathing a sigh of relief, he peered around the corner and watched in horror at the events unfolding.  
  
Braxus hadn't been so lucky. The Darklord had sensed his goodly aura and turned around and tried to blast him with his fist. Braxus' attempt to dodged the blast but was a fraction too slow and the blue bolt exploded at his feet. He was thrown violently backwards against a pillar by the shock of the blast, though not before digging Excalibur right into the Darklord's dark breastplate, causing agonising pain to Haakon whom howled.   
  
"BRAXUS!" Ranma cried out as he saw his brother fly across the chamber, knocked unconscious, his Kai tunic burnt and torn due to the shrapnel from the Darklord's blast.   
  
The Darklord staggered back as he tried to wrench the cursed blade from his breastplate. Normally he would be dead by now, but the Darklords were powerful creatures of Naar and needed something more to finish them off. Finally the Darklord pulled the blade out and threw it to the floor.  
  
Ranma was about to rush over to his brother but stopped as he noticed a mist as black as the grave seeping from Haakon's mouth.  
  
"Now what?" Ranma assumed an offensive position as the mist crept along his outstretched arm and settled like a cloud in the palm of his upturned hand. Whirling shadow shapes drew into focus: wings and tentacles sprouted and took form; a curse in the Dark Tongue shook the whole chamber as a deadly flood of horror hurtled from his hand.  
  
Ranma, not wasting a second, rushed forward as his golden sword sliced and diced the Crypt Spawn as they appeared. Ranma was so preoccupied with the three Crypt Spawn that he hadn't noticed one of them had managed to creep around him and it reared its tentacles to slash at Ranma's head.  
  
Ranma gasped, sensing something evil behind him, and turned to see that the Crypt Spawn remained motionless, a shortsword imbedded in its foul head. Ranma looked around the chamber to see whom it was that had saved him.  
  
He saw that Braxus had regained consciousness and was currently trying to get up using his sword to aid him. Blood dripped from the corner of Braxus' mouth, but as he gave the thumbs-up to say that he was okay, Ranma could see the pained expression across his face. Braxus then continued to help him slay the last of the Crypt Spawn as if nothing had happened to him.  
  
Moments later as Ranma and Braxus slew the last of the Crypt Spawn, Haakon reeled back as if weakened by the death of his creatures. The two Kai Masters stepped forward towards the Darklord intending to inflict the greatest amount of pain on him.  
  
"Ranma, it's up to you to fight him!" Braxus said.  
  
"Huh, what do you mean?" Ranma turned to see that Braxus had finally collapsed from exhaustion as battle fatigue had finally caught up with him. Ranma was reassured by his Kai senses that he wasn't in a serious condition, just exhausted.  
  
Ranma raised the Sommerswerd just as he had against Darklord Zagarna and willed the blade to discharge a bolt of power that would burn the evil Darklord from the face of Magnamund forever.  
  
The blade shimmered with golden fire, but no searing blast issued from its tip. Ranma stared in shock for a moment, realisation soon dawning on him: the Sword of the Sun needed the sun from which to draw its main powers; considering that he was beneath the earth, he would have to do it the old-fashioned way.  
  
Haakon uttered a terrible laugh that shook the floor as he had also realised what had happened. "What's wrong, Kai Lord, doesn't your little stick work?" mocked Haakon as a beam of blue flame from the stone in his hand formed a fiery blade that crackled and spat as it cut through the dust-choked air. The stench of death and decay filled Ranma's nostrils as the Darklord prepared to attack.  
  
"I will enjoy seeing you die by my hands!"   
  
"We see about that! I don't feel like dying today, so bring it on!" Ranma taunted as their blades clashed together.  
  
(Think of Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader with their respective coloured lightsabers, but Ranma has the golden sabre while Haakon had the red.)  
  
***  
  
Ranko was currently with her friend Skuld as they watched the battle to the death between the Vader-look-alike and Ranma Stormgard. They were watching the action through her viewing crystal.  
  
"Wow, Ranko, this is one the most exciting fights I have seen for quite some time. It's better than that science fiction film, Star Wars!" Skuld commented as she munched on the large tub of popcorn-favoured ice cream.  
  
Ranko was cheering Ranma with victory flags and fans.  
  
"Go Ranma! Kick Haakon's butt back to where came from!"  
  
She saw Ranma backflip and dodged Haakon's attempts as he went on the defensive. While Haakon had the strength and power to defeat almost anyone, Ranma, on the other hand, seemed to have the better speed and agility as his body twisted and contorted like a reed in the wind. His sword deflected Haakon's inhuman blows with astounding speed, making him a difficult and virtually impossible target.   
  
Ranko could see that Ranma wasn't holding back this time and his true skills and combat potential were finally being revealed. Ranma realised that this battle was not just between him and the Darklord, but was for all of Sommerlund and, most importantly, the resurrection of the new Kai order.  
  
***  
  
Currently, Ranma was on the offensive, delivering a flurry of strikes against the Darklord as anger built up within him and he started to lose his focus.   
  
Haakon swung his weapon in rage at a downward angle hoping to catch him off guard. Ranma narrowly missed the blade as it imbedded the flame-weapon into the dusty, stone floor, cracking it and leaving a large gash.  
  
Seeing that Haakon was momentarily vulnerable wrenching his blade from where it was embedded, Ranma launched a savage counter-attack at him, combining his martial arts and swordmanship in a complex pattern that left Haakon completely defenceless.  
  
Blow after blow of Ranma's punches and kicks fell upon Haakon's body and he staggered back at the force before Ranma raised the Sommerswerd, which had started to glow, high above his head.  
  
Haakon's evil eyes widened in fear as Ranma's sword was bought down in a fierce overhead arc, the golden blade smashing through Haakon's blackened armour and his rotten, decaying flesh. Haakon let out a final scream before he fell face first onto the dusty floor.  
  
Ranma collapsed to one knee, regaining his breath back after that ordeal with the Darklord. Looking around to where the Darklord had fallen, Ranma could see there was no sign of his body. He sheathed the Sommerswerd back within its jewelled scabbard. The atmosphere was strangely calm and peaceful, as if a great and evil shadow had been lifted.  
  
Ranma then sensed something that he hadn't detected when they had first entered; it was as if someone was telling him that he should look to the throne where Haakon had sat. Trusting his senses, Ranma walked over to the throne and noticed that beyond it lay a portal, an ancient inscription carved deep into the blood-red stone. Below the carving was set the impression of a human hand.  
  
Instinct and intuition guided Ranma's hand to the door and the carving matched it like a glove.  
  
Silently the portal slid back to reveal Ranma and Braxus' destiny - The Book of the Magnakai.  
  
Set on the pedestal, the book lay open, its secrets revealed to Ranma's eyes alone. Lifting the sacred book, the very air throbbed around Ranma with the vibration of the force locked within its sun-gold cover. With a pounding heart, Ranma closed the book and rushed over to his brother who was still unconscious.  
  
"Braxus, wake up!" Ranma began to use his Healing techniques to wake him up. Placing a hand over his chest, Ranma concentrated on his Kai skills of Healing and, as a warm glow of his power started to take effect, his Healing started to repair the internal damage and bruised ribs. Braxus slowly woke up.  
  
Braxus' eyes opened a little, focusing on the book that Ranma had under his arm. "I knew that you could do it. What is it now, two Darklords you've defeated?" he whispered. He tried to get up with the strength remaining in his body.   
  
Ranma nodded and smiled as he helped him to get up. They slowly left the chamber and walked out of the Tomb.  
  
By the time they reached the foothills of the Koneshi Mountains, Banedon had successfully completed his mission and he and Tipasa were waiting for the two Kai Masters to arrive. As they saw Ranma carrying Braxus under one arm, they could also see him clutching the Book of the Magnakai with his other.  
  
"This is a night of triumph!" Banedon said, barely able to contain his excitement. "This will herald a new dawn of hope for Sommerlund. The Kai are reborn."  
  
Ranma and Braxus smiled as they sat down and waited for the Skyrider to appear to pick them up.  
  
***  
  
Onboard the Skyrider  
  
Banedon, Tipasa, Ranma and Braxus were safely picked up and they headed northwards across the barren desert region.  
  
"Banedon, what course do we set?" asked Nolrim.  
  
Banedon glanced over his shoulder to see Ranma and Braxus were absolutely exhausted, both asleep on the deck of the Skyrider. Ranma was clutching the Book of the Magnakai as though his life depended on and it would need something supernatural to remove it from him.  
  
"Should we wake them up?" asked one of the dwarves.  
  
Banedon shook his head as a smile appeared on his face as he looked at his two sleeping friends. "Leave them be, they deserve all the rest they can get."  
  
The dwarf nodded and resumed his duties.  
  
"Captain, the course?" Nolrim repeated his request.  
  
Banedon turned to face Nolrim. "Oh, yes; Nolrim, set course so that we can drop Tipasa off at Ikaresh, then we head north to our homeland, Sommerlund," Banedon ordered.  
  
"Aye Captain, Ikaresh then Sommerlund!" Nolrim relayed the captain's orders to the other dwarves.  
  
As the Skyrider headed toward the horizon and the sun began to settle, the destiny of Wild Horse and Swift Blade and their magician friend Banedon had finally begun! But for now the trio deserved a well-earned rest before they began their next stage of the long and arduous path to Kai Grand Mastership.   
  
***  
  
End of Book One - Wild Horse of Kai  
  
*** 


End file.
